- Symphony of Psalms is a three-movement work for mixed choir and orchestra written in 1930 for the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
- For the Latin text, Stravinsky chose Psalms 38, 39 and 150.
- The work is a clear example of Stravinsky’s neoclassical period, which lasted ~1920-1954. The instrumentation is bright and clear, and the delivery if the Latin text by the choir is unsentimental, while still sincere.
- Stravinsky also made an unusual choice in his score by omitting violins, violas, and clarinets.1
- Listen for: while religious music is often associated with organ accompaniment, Stravinsky didn’t include the instrument in his orchestration but rather used low string instruments to imitate the sound of an organ.2
Sources
- Calvin Dotsey, “New Music & Old-Time Religion: Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms,” Houston Symphony (2018), accessed August 9, 2024, https://houstonsymphony.org/stravinsky-symphony-psalms/.
- Anya Grundmann, “Symphony of Psalms,” NPR (2000), accessed August 9, 2024, https://www.npr.org/2000/12/24/1115988/symphony-of-psalms.
Cut IDs
22670