Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande conducted by Neeme Järvi.
I - Moderato alla breve (𝅗𝅥 = 66) - Tempo agitato senza troppo accelerare (𝅘𝅥 = 132-44) - Tempo I (𝅘𝅥 = 132): 0:00
II - Larghetto concertante (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 50) - Doppio movimento - Doppio valore - (attacca): 9:49
III - Allegretto (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 104) - Meno mosso (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 78) - Tempo I. Allegretto (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 104): 16:22
IV - Adagio (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 50) - Tempo giusto, alla breve (𝅗𝅥 = 84) - Largo (𝅘𝅥 = 60-6) - A tempo (𝅗𝅥 = 84): 21:19
Stravinsky's Symphony in C was composed between January 1938 and August 1940, being commissioned by Robert Woods Bliss for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It was premiered on November 7 of 1940, performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stravinsky. The piece was infrequently performed in the composer's lifetime; Stravinsky noted that for several years he was the only person conducting the work. It was choreographed by Martha Graham in the late 1980s. She named the result "Persephone" in ironic reference to another major work by Stravinsky.
The piece was composed in a dramatic period of Stravinsky's life; his new works were being poorly received in France, as his brand of neoclassicism was not liked for the French audiences of the time, and he became the target of increasingly hostile criticism in major publications. In addition, between 1938-9 his eldest daughter, wife and his mother died, the latter two by tuberculosis. Stravinsky also caught the illness. With the beginning of World War II in September 1939, the composer decided to emigrate to the United States. It was while holding music lectures at the Harvard University where he completed the symphony. Stravinsky described the piece as classical in spirit, denying any connection with the events in his personal life and the world.
Looking at Haydn, Mozart and early Beethoven as models for inspiration, the work employs more traditional structures, harmonic schemes and a more modest orchestration, all while still sounding characteristically Stravinsky. Stylistic differences can be heard between the first two movements, written while still in France, use more traditional rhythmic patterns and harmonizations. The last two, written after arriving to the United States, use frequent modulations of rhythm and are much more chromatic. Much of the symphony’s thematic material is built out of the three-note motif B-C-G, heard right at the outset. It is transposition of a chord in the final movement of Stravinsky’s earlier Symphony of Psalms (1930).
The first movement is structured in the classical sonata form. It begins with a rhythmic and agitated introduction that presents the three-note motive, which in turn seems inspired by the famous fate motive that permeates Beethoven's Symphony No.5. The alternation between C major and E minor, also heard in the outset, harmonically structures most of the movement. The main allegro then starts with an elegant and graceful main theme in C major, presented by the oboe and clearly derived from the introduction material. After a substantial modulatory transition, the second theme in F major is more melodic in nature, supported by a pervasive ostinato figure and ending with an E minor cadence after several modulations.
The development section focuses onto the main theme, with some transitional material included. It begins with a transformation in A major, moving to D major, D minor, G major. Then back to C major an A major, before then modulating to E-flat major, E-flat minor, back to C major, then E minor, G major. A climax is reached in a dramatic outburst in E-flat minor, before an E-flat major transition leads to the recapitulation of the main themes in C major. The only major divergence is that the transition material is juxtaposed with the second theme. After a sudden pause, a G minor coda seems to quietly end the movement, before C major chords are violently hammered down.
The second movement is structured in ternary form. It opens with a lyrical main theme in F major introduced by the oboe, supported by strings and also derived from the three-note motive. Then starts a G minor canon between flute, oboe and clarinet, which leads to the expressive unravelling of the material and also incorporates Stravinsky's characteristic frequent changes of rhythm. A Roccoco-like transition from strings leads to a short repeat of the first part. The central section starts with an agitated and dramatic second theme in D minor, offering great contrast as it modulates to F-sharp major. The main theme is then recapitulated with exchanges between woodwinds, ending the larghetto with a link to the next part.
[Musical analysis continued in the comments section].
Picture: Portrait of Igor Stravinsky (1915) by French painter Jacques-Émile Blanche.
Sources: tinyurl.com/22dksvxp and tinyurl.com/23d2tr85
To check the score: tinyurl.com/29zsknra
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande conducted by Neeme Järvi.
I - Moderato alla breve (𝅗𝅥 = 66) - Tempo agitato senza troppo accelerare (𝅘𝅥 = 132-44) - Tempo I (𝅘𝅥 = 132): 0:00
II - Larghetto concertante (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 50) - Doppio movimento - Doppio valore - (attacca): 9:49
III - Allegretto (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 104) - Meno mosso (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 78) - Tempo I. Allegretto (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 104): 16:22
IV - Adagio (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 50) - Tempo giusto, alla breve (𝅗𝅥 = 84) - Largo (𝅘𝅥 = 60-6) - A tempo (𝅗𝅥 = 84): 21:19
Stravinsky's Symphony in C was composed between January 1938 and August 1940, being commissioned by Robert Woods Bliss for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It was premiered on November 7 of 1940, performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stravinsky. The piece was infrequently performed in the composer's lifetime; Stravinsky noted that for several years he was the only person conducting the work. It was choreographed by Martha Graham in the late 1980s. She named the result "Persephone" in ironic reference to another major work by Stravinsky.
The piece was composed in a dramatic period of Stravinsky's life; his new works were being poorly received in France, as his brand of neoclassicism was not liked for the French audiences of the time, and he became the target of increasingly hostile criticism in major publications. In addition, between 1938-9 his eldest daughter, wife and his mother died, the latter two by tuberculosis. Stravinsky also caught the illness. With the beginning of World War II in September 1939, the composer decided to emigrate to the United States. It was while holding music lectures at the Harvard University where he completed the symphony. Stravinsky described the piece as classical in spirit, denying any connection with the events in his personal life and the world.
Looking at Haydn, Mozart and early Beethoven as models for inspiration, the work employs more traditional structures, harmonic schemes and a more modest orchestration, all while still sounding characteristically Stravinsky. Stylistic differences can be heard between the first two movements, written while still in France, use more traditional rhythmic patterns and harmonizations. The last two, written after arriving to the United States, use frequent modulations of rhythm and are much more chromatic. Much of the symphony’s thematic material is built out of the three-note motif B-C-G, heard right at the outset. It is transposition of a chord in the final movement of Stravinsky’s earlier Symphony of Psalms (1930).
The first movement is structured in the classical sonata form. It begins with a rhythmic and agitated introduction that presents the three-note motive, which in turn seems inspired by the famous fate motive that permeates Beethoven's Symphony No.5. The alternation between C major and E minor, also heard in the outset, harmonically structures most of the movement. The main allegro then starts with an elegant and graceful main theme in C major, presented by the oboe and clearly derived from the introduction material. After a substantial modulatory transition, the second theme in F major is more melodic in nature, supported by a pervasive ostinato figure and ending with an E minor cadence after several modulations.
The development section focuses onto the main theme, with some transitional material included. It begins with a transformation in A major, moving to D major, D minor, G major. Then back to C major an A major, before then modulating to E-flat major, E-flat minor, back to C major, then E minor, G major. A climax is reached in a dramatic outburst in E-flat minor, before an E-flat major transition leads to the recapitulation of the main themes in C major. The only major divergence is that the transition material is juxtaposed with the second theme. After a sudden pause, a G minor coda seems to quietly end the movement, before C major chords are violently hammered down.
The second movement is structured in ternary form. It opens with a lyrical main theme in F major introduced by the oboe, supported by strings and also derived from the three-note motive. Then starts a G minor canon between flute, oboe and clarinet, which leads to the expressive unravelling of the material and also incorporates Stravinsky's characteristic frequent changes of rhythm. A Roccoco-like transition from strings leads to a short repeat of the first part. The central section starts with an agitated and dramatic second theme in D minor, offering great contrast as it modulates to F-sharp major. The main theme is then recapitulated with exchanges between woodwinds, ending the larghetto with a link to the next part.
[Musical analysis continued in the comments section].
Picture: Portrait of Igor Stravinsky (1915) by French painter Jacques-Émile Blanche.
Sources: tinyurl.com/22dksvxp and tinyurl.com/23d2tr85
To check the score: tinyurl.com/29zsknra
