Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Richard Hickox.
I - Moderato: 0:00
II - Allegretto con brio: 8:49
III - Poco lento: 15:21
Rubbra's Symphony No.8 was composed between 1966-8, completed after over a ten-year gap. To the composer's dismay, by the late 1960s Rubbra's music was out of fashion, and his new music attracted little attention. It wasn't premiered until January 5 of 1971, performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Charles Groves. As in the Seventh Symphony, the work is in three movements, with a slow finale. This time, however, the mood of the movement is optimistic rather than elegiac, a work of immense striving and profound spiritual strength. As the subtitle indicates, the work is a hommage to French polymath Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
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, capturing something of the modal feeling of English folk and church music by the false relationships between parts. Thus, Rubbra's symphonies form themselves according to the logic of their main idea, rather than fitting into the standard symphonic shape.
De Chardin was a Jesuit priest, geologist, palaeontologist and philosopher. His studies in these areas gradually led him to a reappraisal of evolutionary theory in the light of Christian thought. He saw matter and spirit as co-evolving towards Christ as the "omega" point. The dichotomy between science and religion is therefore a false one. It is an optimistic view of the long-term future of mankind but, as Rubbra himself wrote, "it was not part of my intention, even if possible, to translate these ideas into music: but they meet, I hope, in a like optimism.’ In many ways, the Symphony portrays a pilgrimage, also hinted at in the choral suite "Inscape" (1965) and the extraordinary final song of "The Jade Mountain" cycle of 1962.
The first movement begins with a chord on strings from whose intervals the entire symphony is derived upon, unlike previous ones by Rubbra that were built on a single motive. A mysterious and ethereal theme is introduced and gradually unfolded and developed. As said before, the music is not built on a pair of contrasting themes developed dramatically, but on the organic and continuous growth of the initial ideas. The tension provided between the perfect fourth and third intervals guide most of the moderato. The movement culminates in a solemn and expressive climax, subsiding in an enigmatic coda in which only at the very end the perfect third interval prevails.
The second movement opens with a rhythmic main theme presented between strings and woods, built on the aforementioned perfect third from the symphony's opening chord. More melodic and bucolic passages offer some contrast, but thematically they all come from the same source. As in the first movement, the material is nearly continuously developed and transformed, with prominent roles given to celesta, harp and xylophone. A contemplative woodwind section offers respite, before a crescendo concludes the allegretto with a radiant and triumphal coda.
The third movement begins with an enigmatic opening that introduces the three predominant intervals of the poco lento; seconds, third and sixths. A three-note motive also plays a prominent role. As in the first movement, these elements derived from the opening chords, guide the entire movement to a near continuous linear ascent towards an intense and expressive climax. A long and calm diminuendo ensues with solos of the cello and flute. The symphony ends with a peaceful G major chord with overlapping fourths on the celesta, looking back at the very opening of the piece and bringing it to a luminous close.
Pictures: [Left] "Pere Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ in the Omega Nebula 349" by William Hart McNichols. [Right] Three-colour composite image of the Omega Nebula (Messier 17, or NGC 6618), based on images obtained with the EMMI instrument on the ESO 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope at the La Silla Observatory.
Musical analysis partially written by myself. Sources: tinyurl.com/22l3mrhr and tinyurl.com/2ytropyc
Unfortunately, the score isn't freely available.
BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Richard Hickox.
I - Moderato: 0:00
II - Allegretto con brio: 8:49
III - Poco lento: 15:21
Rubbra's Symphony No.8 was composed between 1966-8, completed after over a ten-year gap. To the composer's dismay, by the late 1960s Rubbra's music was out of fashion, and his new music attracted little attention. It wasn't premiered until January 5 of 1971, performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Charles Groves. As in the Seventh Symphony, the work is in three movements, with a slow finale. This time, however, the mood of the movement is optimistic rather than elegiac, a work of immense striving and profound spiritual strength. As the subtitle indicates, the work is a hommage to French polymath Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
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, capturing something of the modal feeling of English folk and church music by the false relationships between parts. Thus, Rubbra's symphonies form themselves according to the logic of their main idea, rather than fitting into the standard symphonic shape.
De Chardin was a Jesuit priest, geologist, palaeontologist and philosopher. His studies in these areas gradually led him to a reappraisal of evolutionary theory in the light of Christian thought. He saw matter and spirit as co-evolving towards Christ as the "omega" point. The dichotomy between science and religion is therefore a false one. It is an optimistic view of the long-term future of mankind but, as Rubbra himself wrote, "it was not part of my intention, even if possible, to translate these ideas into music: but they meet, I hope, in a like optimism.’ In many ways, the Symphony portrays a pilgrimage, also hinted at in the choral suite "Inscape" (1965) and the extraordinary final song of "The Jade Mountain" cycle of 1962.
The first movement begins with a chord on strings from whose intervals the entire symphony is derived upon, unlike previous ones by Rubbra that were built on a single motive. A mysterious and ethereal theme is introduced and gradually unfolded and developed. As said before, the music is not built on a pair of contrasting themes developed dramatically, but on the organic and continuous growth of the initial ideas. The tension provided between the perfect fourth and third intervals guide most of the moderato. The movement culminates in a solemn and expressive climax, subsiding in an enigmatic coda in which only at the very end the perfect third interval prevails.
The second movement opens with a rhythmic main theme presented between strings and woods, built on the aforementioned perfect third from the symphony's opening chord. More melodic and bucolic passages offer some contrast, but thematically they all come from the same source. As in the first movement, the material is nearly continuously developed and transformed, with prominent roles given to celesta, harp and xylophone. A contemplative woodwind section offers respite, before a crescendo concludes the allegretto with a radiant and triumphal coda.
The third movement begins with an enigmatic opening that introduces the three predominant intervals of the poco lento; seconds, third and sixths. A three-note motive also plays a prominent role. As in the first movement, these elements derived from the opening chords, guide the entire movement to a near continuous linear ascent towards an intense and expressive climax. A long and calm diminuendo ensues with solos of the cello and flute. The symphony ends with a peaceful G major chord with overlapping fourths on the celesta, looking back at the very opening of the piece and bringing it to a luminous close.
Pictures: [Left] "Pere Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ in the Omega Nebula 349" by William Hart McNichols. [Right] Three-colour composite image of the Omega Nebula (Messier 17, or NGC 6618), based on images obtained with the EMMI instrument on the ESO 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope at the La Silla Observatory.
Musical analysis partially written by myself. Sources: tinyurl.com/22l3mrhr and tinyurl.com/2ytropyc
Unfortunately, the score isn't freely available.
