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The Symphony of Psalms is a choral symphony in three movements composed by Igor Stravinsky in 1930 during his neoclassical period. The work was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The symphony derives its name from the use of Psalm texts in the choral parts.
Like many of Stravinsky's other works, including Petrushka and The Rite of Spring, the Symphony of Psalms occasionally employs the octatonic scale (which alternates whole steps and half steps), the longest stretch being eleven bars between rehearsal numbers 4 and 6 in the first movement. Stravinsky stated that the root of the entire symphony is "the sequences of two minor thirds joined by a major third... derived from the trumpet-harp motive at the beginning of the allegro in Psalm 150".
Stravinsky portrays the religious nature of the text through his compositional techniques. He wrote substantial portions of the piece in fugal counterpoint, which was used widely in the church in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. He also uses the large chorus to create a ritual atmosphere like that of the Church.
- Difficulty:
- Advanced
- Instrumentation:
- 5Fl 1dPicc, 4Ob, EH, 3Bsn, Cbsn, 4Hn, 5Tpt, 3Tbn, Tba, Timp, Perc, Harp, 2 Pno, Celli & Contrabassi, Mixed Chorus SATB
- Duration:
- 22 minutes
- Set of Parts:
- Full Score, Orchestral Parts (includes 4xCelli & 4xContrabassi parts). Chorus Score sold separately and not included.
- Product Type:
- REPRINT SERIES
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