Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Richard Hickox.
I - Con moto: 0:00
II - Intermezzo. Allegretto grazioso: 12:51
III - Introduzione. Grave e molto calmo - Allegro maestoso: 17:54
Rubbra's Symphony No.4 was composed between 1940-2, written during the composer's army service, completed and orchestrated at a camp in North Wales. It was premiered on August 14 of 1942, performed at a promenade concert by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rubbra himself. The score is dedicated to renowned conductor and composer Sir Henry Wood. The Symphony is the final entry of a tetralogy Rubbra wrote in quick succession between 1935-41. He described them as being "different facets of one thought", since each was a reaction to the last. The Symphony also reflects, to some degree, the war atmosphere of the times.
Paul Conway praised the piece with the following words: "Rubbra’s Fourth Symphony is an epic wartime work, as remarkable for its serene, other-worldly opening movement as the Brucknerian contrapuntal grandeur of its bipartite Finale". Rubbra's symphonies differ from the prevailing model of the symphony in that they are built on a principle of continuous, organic development from a single basic idea. By contrast, the traditional symphony is built on dramatic lines, with contrasting movements, each of which usually has contrasting themes as its main character. The symphony arose during a time which rebelled against counterpoint, while Rubbra's intention was to use the example of the great contrapuntal music of the English madrigalists for his model. Thus, Rubbra's symphonies form themselves according to the logic of their main idea, rather than fitting into the standard symphonic shape.
In 1941, Rubbra was called up for army service. After 18 months he was given an office post, again because of his knowledge of shorthand and typing. While he was there, he ran a small orchestra assisted by a double-bass player from the BBC orchestra. The War Office asked him to form a piano trio to play classical chamber music to the troops. Rubbra was happy to oblige, and the trio, with William Pleeth the cellist, Joshua Glazier violinist and himself on the piano took six months acquiring a repertoire of chamber music. "The Army Classical Music Group", was formed and later expanded to seven people. They travelled all over England and Scotland and then to Germany.
The first movement begins with an expressive and kind of ethereal main theme, presented through divided strings in octaves and a pulsing woodwind ostinato. This root material from which the entire movement is derived is based on a falling fifth and rising major third motif, as well as a dominant seventh chord in third inversion, respectively. The music unfolds and develops in a series of continuous flowing variations on the main material, with no contrasting themes. There is a sense of increasing urgency as the movement reaches a climactic moment on the last inversion of the dominant seventh on D, a tone below the initial harmony. A powerful climax is reached with a bold reinterpretation of the material, with descending sextuplets in the bass foreshadowing the descending Phrygian crotchets in the last movement. The con moto gradually winds down and ends with a noble coda.
The second movement is a brief intermezzo, described by Rubbra himself as "designed to give mental relief and refreshment between two movements full of tension". It opens with a rhythmic motive exposed by woodwinds over a pulsing pizzicato ostinato, almost like a slow and dignified dance. The material follows a similar dynamic as in the first movement but on a smaller scale. Rubbra works with two ideas: a rising and falling third and the main idea of the first movement rhythmically disguised. A gentle and modest coda closes the intermezzo.
The third movement is divided in two large sections. The first is slow and brooding, with yet another disguised version of the opening movement's main idea. A lyrical passage also uses the main accompanying figure to the first movement. After a pause, the second section then begins boldly, with yet another variant on our old friend, the falling fifth-rising third, this time on horns and strings. Rubbra works toward a climactic chorale, mostly through beautifully independent three-part counterpoint. But this is a chorale only in tone, since it too is composed of three independent strands. It's just that the rhythmic values have gotten larger. The work ends with a solemn E major coda, in which the symphony’s opening dominant seventh has been rooted on the tonic. The journey to light and triumph has been far from straightforward.
Picture: "Pillar and Moon" (1932-42) by British painter Paul Nash.
Sources: tinyurl.com/2bdpskmw, tinyurl.com/25m9ve9t and tinyurl.com/2awchkj9
Unfortunately, the score isn't freely available.
BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Richard Hickox.
I - Con moto: 0:00
II - Intermezzo. Allegretto grazioso: 12:51
III - Introduzione. Grave e molto calmo - Allegro maestoso: 17:54
Rubbra's Symphony No.4 was composed between 1940-2, written during the composer's army service, completed and orchestrated at a camp in North Wales. It was premiered on August 14 of 1942, performed at a promenade concert by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rubbra himself. The score is dedicated to renowned conductor and composer Sir Henry Wood. The Symphony is the final entry of a tetralogy Rubbra wrote in quick succession between 1935-41. He described them as being "different facets of one thought", since each was a reaction to the last. The Symphony also reflects, to some degree, the war atmosphere of the times.
Paul Conway praised the piece with the following words: "Rubbra’s Fourth Symphony is an epic wartime work, as remarkable for its serene, other-worldly opening movement as the Brucknerian contrapuntal grandeur of its bipartite Finale". Rubbra's symphonies differ from the prevailing model of the symphony in that they are built on a principle of continuous, organic development from a single basic idea. By contrast, the traditional symphony is built on dramatic lines, with contrasting movements, each of which usually has contrasting themes as its main character. The symphony arose during a time which rebelled against counterpoint, while Rubbra's intention was to use the example of the great contrapuntal music of the English madrigalists for his model. Thus, Rubbra's symphonies form themselves according to the logic of their main idea, rather than fitting into the standard symphonic shape.
In 1941, Rubbra was called up for army service. After 18 months he was given an office post, again because of his knowledge of shorthand and typing. While he was there, he ran a small orchestra assisted by a double-bass player from the BBC orchestra. The War Office asked him to form a piano trio to play classical chamber music to the troops. Rubbra was happy to oblige, and the trio, with William Pleeth the cellist, Joshua Glazier violinist and himself on the piano took six months acquiring a repertoire of chamber music. "The Army Classical Music Group", was formed and later expanded to seven people. They travelled all over England and Scotland and then to Germany.
The first movement begins with an expressive and kind of ethereal main theme, presented through divided strings in octaves and a pulsing woodwind ostinato. This root material from which the entire movement is derived is based on a falling fifth and rising major third motif, as well as a dominant seventh chord in third inversion, respectively. The music unfolds and develops in a series of continuous flowing variations on the main material, with no contrasting themes. There is a sense of increasing urgency as the movement reaches a climactic moment on the last inversion of the dominant seventh on D, a tone below the initial harmony. A powerful climax is reached with a bold reinterpretation of the material, with descending sextuplets in the bass foreshadowing the descending Phrygian crotchets in the last movement. The con moto gradually winds down and ends with a noble coda.
The second movement is a brief intermezzo, described by Rubbra himself as "designed to give mental relief and refreshment between two movements full of tension". It opens with a rhythmic motive exposed by woodwinds over a pulsing pizzicato ostinato, almost like a slow and dignified dance. The material follows a similar dynamic as in the first movement but on a smaller scale. Rubbra works with two ideas: a rising and falling third and the main idea of the first movement rhythmically disguised. A gentle and modest coda closes the intermezzo.
The third movement is divided in two large sections. The first is slow and brooding, with yet another disguised version of the opening movement's main idea. A lyrical passage also uses the main accompanying figure to the first movement. After a pause, the second section then begins boldly, with yet another variant on our old friend, the falling fifth-rising third, this time on horns and strings. Rubbra works toward a climactic chorale, mostly through beautifully independent three-part counterpoint. But this is a chorale only in tone, since it too is composed of three independent strands. It's just that the rhythmic values have gotten larger. The work ends with a solemn E major coda, in which the symphony’s opening dominant seventh has been rooted on the tonic. The journey to light and triumph has been far from straightforward.
Picture: "Pillar and Moon" (1932-42) by British painter Paul Nash.
Sources: tinyurl.com/2bdpskmw, tinyurl.com/25m9ve9t and tinyurl.com/2awchkj9
Unfortunately, the score isn't freely available.
