Symphony no. 10 (Henze)
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Symphony No. 10 by Hans Werner Henze
was written between 1997 and 2000.
Unlike his Ninth Symphony
, the Tenth has a more traditional four-movement symphonic structure. The first movement, entitled Ein Sturm (A Storm) is suitably tempestuous; the second, Ein Hymnus (A hymn) is for strings alone. The third movement scherzo
, Ein Tanz (A dance), is dominated by percussion. The finale, Ein Traum, (A dream) dispenses with form, and builds to a climax involving the whole orchestra.
The titles themselves are generic, that is they evoke motifs associated with them rather than any specific references.
The work was jointly commissioned by Paul Sacher
and Simon Rattle
. Rattle premiered the first movement only with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
in March 2000 in Birmingham. The premiere of the full work was given at Lucerne
on 17 August 2002 with the same forces. Henze dedicated the work to Sacher, who died before the premiere.
Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze is a German composer of prodigious output best known for "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life"...
was written between 1997 and 2000.
Unlike his Ninth Symphony
Symphony no. 9 (Henze)
The Ninth Symphony of the German composer Hans Werner Henze was written in 1997.It is a choral symphony, subtitled Den Helden und Märtyrern des deutschen Antifaschismus gewidmet...
, the Tenth has a more traditional four-movement symphonic structure. The first movement, entitled Ein Sturm (A Storm) is suitably tempestuous; the second, Ein Hymnus (A hymn) is for strings alone. The third movement scherzo
Scherzo
A scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
, Ein Tanz (A dance), is dominated by percussion. The finale, Ein Traum, (A dream) dispenses with form, and builds to a climax involving the whole orchestra.
The titles themselves are generic, that is they evoke motifs associated with them rather than any specific references.
The work was jointly commissioned by Paul Sacher
Paul Sacher
Paul Sacher was a Swiss conductor, patron and impresario.-Biography:He studied under Felix Weingartner, among others. In 1926 he founded the Basel Chamber Orchestra to play works written before the classical period and modern works...
and Simon Rattle
Simon Rattle
Sir Simon Denis Rattle, CBE is an English conductor. He rose to international prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and since 2002 has been principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
. Rattle premiered the first movement only with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. The Orchestra's current chief executive, appointed in 1999, is Stephen Maddock...
in March 2000 in Birmingham. The premiere of the full work was given at Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
on 17 August 2002 with the same forces. Henze dedicated the work to Sacher, who died before the premiere.