Petite symphonie concertante
Encyclopedia
Petite Symphonie Concertante, Op. 54, is an orchestral composition by the Swiss composer Frank Martin
, one of his best-known works.
Martin received the commission for the work in 1944, though progress was delayed by work on the oratorio In Terra Pax. The Petite Symphony Concertante was completed the following year and received its premiere in Zürich on May 27, 1946, under the direction of Paul Sacher
, who is also the work's dedicatee. Sacher's commission prompted Martin to assume the unusual ensemble of Harp
, Harpsichord
, Piano
and String Orchestra
divided into two groups, though all accounts suggest the final choice of instruments was the composer's own. Using all of the common stringed instruments available, Martin desired to use the Harp, Harpsichord and Piano not as accompanying, or 'basso continuo' instruments (as is often their role) but as solos, thus being a distant echo of J S Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no. 5
, and justifying the work's title of Symphonie Concertante
. The work gained Martin international recognition.
The Petite Symphony Concertante is in two movements, separated by the briefest of pauses. Each movement may then be divided into two 'halves', though the relationship between each part differs considerably between the two: the first comprises a slow introduction of forty-six bars out of which the following Allegro derives all of its motivic material; the second begins with an Adagio which showcases the three solo instruments (Harp, Piano, then Harpsichord) before breaking into a lively march.
The work is Neoclassical
in outlook, and his approach reflects Martin's adoration of J S Bach. Martin's style draws elements from both the musical styles and traditions of France (such as the use of harmony to create local colour and the freer formal organisation) and Austro-Germany (such as the generally polyphonic style and the incredibly dense motivicism). The work also demonstrates Martin's use of the 12-tone technique, though in an entirely different way from the composers of the Second Viennese School
. A 12-note row is apparent at the opening of the first movement, though Martin treats it as he does any other thematic or motivic material: it appears in various transpositions (all twelve, if fragmentary statements are included) but is never used in inversion, retrograde or retrograde-inversion forms, and is by no means present throughout the work. The row also demonstrates some other characteristic features of the composer's 12-tone technique, including the use of constant rhythmic values, no octave transpositions within the series, and the row's use frequently as an accompanimental ostinato
. Later in the movement however, Martin does demonstrate his own take on the technique, common in the music of Schoenberg
and Webern and others, of 'telescoping' his row forms, that is, the final note of one statement is also the first of the next at a different transposition, though unlike these composers, Martin only uses fragments of each row form.
The piece was intended for the so-called "revival harpsichord", the large early-20th-century instruments built in the piano tradition by makers such as Robert Goble
and Pleyel. It is one of the few pieces in the sinfonia concertante
genre to be composed in the twentieth century.
Frank Martin (composer)
Frank Martin was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands.-Childhood and youth:...
, one of his best-known works.
Martin received the commission for the work in 1944, though progress was delayed by work on the oratorio In Terra Pax. The Petite Symphony Concertante was completed the following year and received its premiere in Zürich on May 27, 1946, under the direction of Paul Sacher
Paul Sacher
Paul Sacher was a Swiss conductor, patron and impresario.-Biography:He studied under Felix Weingartner, among others. In 1926 he founded the Basel Chamber Orchestra to play works written before the classical period and modern works...
, who is also the work's dedicatee. Sacher's commission prompted Martin to assume the unusual ensemble of Harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, Harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, Piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and String Orchestra
String orchestra
A string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely or primarily of instruments from the string family. These instruments are the violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass , the piano, the harp, and sometimes percussion...
divided into two groups, though all accounts suggest the final choice of instruments was the composer's own. Using all of the common stringed instruments available, Martin desired to use the Harp, Harpsichord and Piano not as accompanying, or 'basso continuo' instruments (as is often their role) but as solos, thus being a distant echo of J S Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no. 5
Brandenburg concertos
The Brandenburg concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of six instrumental works presented by Bach to Christian Ludwig, margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, in 1721 . They are widely regarded as among the finest musical compositions of the Baroque era...
, and justifying the work's title of Symphonie Concertante
Sinfonia concertante
Sinfonia concertante is a musical form that emerged during the Classical period of Western music. It is essentially a mixture of the symphony and the concerto genres: a concerto in that one or more soloists are on prominent display, and a symphony in that the soloists are nonetheless discernibly a...
. The work gained Martin international recognition.
The Petite Symphony Concertante is in two movements, separated by the briefest of pauses. Each movement may then be divided into two 'halves', though the relationship between each part differs considerably between the two: the first comprises a slow introduction of forty-six bars out of which the following Allegro derives all of its motivic material; the second begins with an Adagio which showcases the three solo instruments (Harp, Piano, then Harpsichord) before breaking into a lively march.
The work is Neoclassical
Neoclassicism (music)
Neoclassicism in music was a twentieth-century trend, particularly current in the period between the two World Wars, in which composers sought to return to aesthetic precepts associated with the broadly defined concept of "classicism", namely order, balance, clarity, economy, and emotional restraint...
in outlook, and his approach reflects Martin's adoration of J S Bach. Martin's style draws elements from both the musical styles and traditions of France (such as the use of harmony to create local colour and the freer formal organisation) and Austro-Germany (such as the generally polyphonic style and the incredibly dense motivicism). The work also demonstrates Martin's use of the 12-tone technique, though in an entirely different way from the composers of the Second Viennese School
Second Viennese School
The Second Viennese School is the group of composers that comprised Arnold Schoenberg and his pupils and close associates in early 20th century Vienna, where he lived and taught, sporadically, between 1903 and 1925...
. A 12-note row is apparent at the opening of the first movement, though Martin treats it as he does any other thematic or motivic material: it appears in various transpositions (all twelve, if fragmentary statements are included) but is never used in inversion, retrograde or retrograde-inversion forms, and is by no means present throughout the work. The row also demonstrates some other characteristic features of the composer's 12-tone technique, including the use of constant rhythmic values, no octave transpositions within the series, and the row's use frequently as an accompanimental ostinato
Ostinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
. Later in the movement however, Martin does demonstrate his own take on the technique, common in the music of Schoenberg
Schoenberg
Schoenberg is the surname of several persons:* Arnold Schoenberg , Austrian-American composer* Claude-Michel Schoenberg , French record producer, actor, singer, popular songwriter, and musical theatre composer...
and Webern and others, of 'telescoping' his row forms, that is, the final note of one statement is also the first of the next at a different transposition, though unlike these composers, Martin only uses fragments of each row form.
The piece was intended for the so-called "revival harpsichord", the large early-20th-century instruments built in the piano tradition by makers such as Robert Goble
Robert Goble
Robert Goble was an English harpsichord builder.The son of Harriet and John Goble, a wheelwright, he grew up in Thursley, Surrey. He first encountered pioneering early-instrument-maker Arnold Dolmetsch and his family in the autumn of 1917, when they took refuge from London air raids by renting a...
and Pleyel. It is one of the few pieces in the sinfonia concertante
Sinfonia concertante
Sinfonia concertante is a musical form that emerged during the Classical period of Western music. It is essentially a mixture of the symphony and the concerto genres: a concerto in that one or more soloists are on prominent display, and a symphony in that the soloists are nonetheless discernibly a...
genre to be composed in the twentieth century.
Selected recordings
- Suisse Romande Orchestra, Ernest AnsermetErnest AnsermetErnest Alexandre Ansermet was a Swiss conductor.- Biography :Ansermet was born in Vevey, Switzerland. Although he was a contemporary of Wilhelm Furtwängler and Otto Klemperer, Ansermet represents in most ways a very different tradition and approach from those two musicians. Originally he was a...
(DeccaDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
) - Suisse Romande Orchestra, composer (Jecklin)
- Symphony Orchestra, Leopold StokowskiLeopold StokowskiLeopold Anthony Stokowski was a British-born, naturalised American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style that spurned the traditional baton and for obtaining a characteristically sumptuous sound from many of the great orchestras he conducted.In America, Stokowski...
(EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
) - NDR-Sinfonie Orchester Gunter WandGünter WandGünter Wand was a German orchestra conductor and composer. Wand studied in Wuppertal, Allenstein and Detmold. At the Cologne conservatory, he was a composition student with Philipp Jarnach and a piano student with Paul Baumgartner...
RCA Victor