Symphony No. 2 (Dutilleux)


's Symphony No. 2 Le Double is an orchestral work completed in 1959, commissioned by the Koussevitzky Music Foundation for the 75th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
It is written for an orchestra and a second group comprising an oboe, a clarinet, a bassoon, a trumpet, a trombone, two violins, a viola, a cello, a harpsichord, a celesta, and kettledrums.

Overview

The work consists of back and forth between the two instrumental groups, like that of a concerto grosso although the approach is different: in this piece, the smaller ensemble acts as a mirror or ghost of the larger one, sometimes playing similar or complementary lines, sometimes contrasting ones.
In Dutilleux's own words:

Structure

The symphony has three movements, a performance taking around a half-hour.
  1. Animato, ma misterioso
  2. Andantino sostenuto
  3. Allegro fuocoso — Calmato