Spend a profound week with some haunting, powerful, and peaceful symphonies from the years around World War II. Beginning in 1939 with the first symphony of Darius Milhaud and concluding with Aaron Copland’s third symphony from 1946, which includes the iconic “Fanfare for the Common Man.” Along the way we’ll hear the ninth symphony of Dmitri Shostakovich, written in 1945 and the last of his “war trilogy” symphonies, and two pieces with text from the Latin mass — Benjamin Britten’s “Sinfonia da Requiem” and Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 4. And we’ll contrast the power of the sixth symphony of Roy Harris, which he dedicated to the memory of the American armed forces, with the pastoral serenity of Vaughan Williams fifth symphony.
Symphony, Part 13 (Symphonic Music During World War II)
Playlist
Episode 1
Darius Milhaud: Symphony No. 1
I. Pastoral. Modérément Animé
II. Très Vif
III. Très Modéré
IV. Final. Animé
Michel Plasson: Toulouse Capitole Orchestra
Milhaud: Symphonien Nr. 1 & 2 – Suite Provencale
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse/ Plasson
DG 435 437-2; 7:50, 4:34, 8:22, 6:40
Benjamin Britten: Sinfonia Da Requiem, Op. 20
I. Lacrymosa
II. Dies Irae
III. Requiem Aeternam
London Symphony Orchestra & Richard Hickox
Britten: War Requiem/ Sinfonia da Requiem/ Ballad of Heroes
Harper/ Langridge/ Hill/ Shirley-Quirk/ Lso & Chorus/ Hickox
Chandos 8983/4; 8:47, 5:27, 7:39
Episode 2
Leonard Bernstein: Symphony No. 1, “Jeremiah”
1. Prophecy
2. Profanation
Leonard Bernstein: New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Bernstein: Orchestral Works
Entremont – Francescatti – Goodman – Bernstein
Sony SMK 47162; 7:37, 6:40
Leonard Bernstein: The Age of Anxiety: Part II. The Masque
Leonard Bernstein, Lukas Foss & New York Philharmonic
Bernstein Century – The Age of Anxiety
Sony 60558; 4:27
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8
II. Allegretto
III. Allegro Non Troppo
V. Allegretto
Georg Solti; Chicago Symphony
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/ Solti
London 425 675-2; 6:35, 6:27, 14:31
Episode 3
Samuel Barber: Symphony No. 2 – Andante, Un Poco Mosso
Royal Scottish national orchestra – Marin Alsop
Samuel Barber – Orchestral Works, Vol 1 – Symphonies Nos 1 and 2
Naxos 8.559024; 9:09
William Schuman: Symphony No. 5 (Symphony for Strings in 3 Movements):
I. Molto agitato ed energico
II. Larghissimo
III. Presto
Leonard Bernstein & New York Philharmonic
Columbia Masterworks MS 7442; 4:25, 4:46, 7:24
Roy Harris: Symphony No. 6, “Gettysburg” – 4. Affirmation
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra – Marin Alsop
Roy Harris – Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6
Naxos 8.559609; 7:08
Bernard Herrmann: Symphony No. 1: I. Maestoso: Allegro Pesante
Bernard Herrmann & The National Symphony Orchestra
Symphony – Fantasticks
Unicorn Kanchana UKCD 2063; 13:31
Episode 4
Bernard Herrmann: Symphony No. 1: II. Scherzo
Bernard Herrmann & The National Symphony Orchestra
Symphony – Fantasticks
Unicorn Kanchana UKCD 2063; 5:52
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5 in D
1. Preludio: Moderato
2. Scherzo: Presto Misterioso
3. Romanza: Lento
4. Passacaglia: Moderato
Bernard Haitink: London Philharmonic Orchestra
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5
EMI 5 55487; 12:50, 5:41, 12:57, 12:09
Episode 5
Darius Milhaud: Symphony No. 2 – 1. Paisible (peaceful)
Michel Plasson: Toulouse Capitole Orchestra
Milhaud: Symphonien Nr 1 & 2 – Suite Provencale
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse / Plasson
DG 435 437-2; 6:11
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9 in E Flat, Op. 70
1. Allegro
2. Moderato
3. Presto
4. Largo
5. Allegretto
Gennady Rozhdestvensky: USSR Ministry Of Culture Symphony
Shostakovich Symphonies No. 1, 5, 6, & 9
Meaonr 74321 49611 2; 5:16, 7:37, 3:01, 4:05, 6:40
Aaron Copland: Symphony No. 3: Finale
Kansas City Symphony, William McGlaughlin
American Voices; 14:00
