Symphony No. 4 (Chávez)


Symphony No. 4, subtitled Sinfonía romántica is an orchestral composition by Carlos Chávez, composed in 1953.

History

The score was commissioned by and is dedicated to the Louisville Orchestra, which premiered the work on 11 February 1953, conducted by the composer. After the first few performances, Chávez decided that the final movement, though sound in itself, was not satisfactory as a conclusion to this symphony. Consequently, he composed a new finale in October 1953, and published the original movement as a separate work, titled Baile .

Instrumentation

The Symphony is scored for an orchestra of three flutes, two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, three bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, and strings.

Analysis

The Symphony is divided into three movements:
  1. Allegro
  2. Molto lento
  3. Vivo non troppo mosso
In contrast to the Third Symphony, there are no formal innovations here. The symphony is in the key of A—a sort of A minor tonality—though the overall character is brighter and more optimistic than the Third Symphony. Chávez treats his material cyclically, which means that thematic elements reappear throughout all three movements.

Discography