Symphony in One Movement (Barber)


's Symphony in One Movement, was completed 24 February 1936. It was premiered by Rome's Philharmonic Augusteo Orchestra under the baton of Bernardino Molinari 13 December 1936. It lasts around 21 minutes. The title given in the printed score of the work is First Symphony , and the uniform title is Symphonies, no. 1, op. 9.

History

Barber commenced his work on the symphony in August 1935 and completed the work at the Anabel Taylor Foundation in Roquebrune in the French Alps. It was dedicated to his long-time companion Gian Carlo Menotti. It received its American premiere by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Rudolf Ringwall 21 and 23 January 1937 and was performed three times on 24 March 1937 at Carnegie Hall, New York by the New York Philharmonic–Symphony Orchestra under direction of Artur Rodziński. Rodziński was a strong promoter of Barber's work and conducted the Vienna Philharmonic's performance of the symphony at the opening concert of the 1937 Salzburg Festival. It was the first performance of a symphonic work by an American composer at the festival.

Analysis

The symphony is a condensed one-movement version of a classical four-movement symphony and is modeled after Sibelius' Symphony No. 7. The work is divided into four sections:
  1. Allegro ma non troppo
  2. Allegro molto
  3. Andante tranquillo
  4. Con moto
In the program notes for the New York premiere Barber explained:
Barber made some revisions to the work in 1942–43. The revised version was first performed 18 February 1944 by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Bruno Walter.

Allegro non troppo

Main theme

\relative c

Lyrical second theme

\relative c

Closing theme

\relative c'

Scherzo

First theme in diminution

\relative c''

Andante tranquillo

Second theme

\relative c'

Passacaglia

First theme

\relative c