- Date: 1933 01 -1934 02
- Composer: Kurt Weill
- Period: Modern (1910-1949)
Review
Weill began work on this symphony in January 1933, mere months before he was to leave Nazi Germany for Paris. While composing this work, he sometimes referred to it as his first symphony, since his actual First Symphony of 1921 had not yet been performed. It was also his last symphony: after completing it in Paris in 1934, he would focus almost exclusively on theater and vocal music, never writing another piece of "absolute" orchestral music again.The Second Symphony, which Weill alternately called Symphonic Fantasy or Three Night Scenes, is cast in three movements: Sonata, Largo, Rondo. The work opens with a funeral march in which the main thematic material is presented. The march is followed by a Classical allegro in sonata form. The opening march is heard again in the slow second movement. In the third movement, thematic material from the preceding movements is carefully interwoven in a high-spirited finale. Stylistically, the Second Symphony represents a seamless blending of traditions, with clear, Classical-inspired formal structures enmeshed with bold and expressive Romantic gestures. Though Weill insisted that this work was not a programmatic piece, a number of commentators have noted that the symphony seems to reflect the upheaval in Weill's life -- his exile and divorce -- and the contemporary political situation as dark clouds began gathering over Germany and Europe.
The Second Symphony received its premiere in Amsterdam in October 1934, conducted by Bruno Walter. ~ Alexander Carpenter, All Music Guide
Albums with Complete Performances of the Work
Albums with Excerpt Performances of the Work
| Title | Date |
| Gramophone Editor's Choice, September 2005 | 2005 |
