Three works written during World War Two that have very interesting background stories. French composer Arthur Honegger wrote his second symphony for strings from 1937 to 1942. It is a very modern, dissonant piece to which he added a single trumpet at the end to symbolize the hope for the coming liberation of France. It was performed (I was told by a classical music nut) to a room full of German officers and soldiers. The program notes made no mention of a trumpet at that time, so it came as a surprise to the audience when one musician pulled a horn from under his chair at the symphony's climax. Apparently the frenchmen in the audience got it right away, while the Germans were left with a puzzled look. http://soundwordsight.com/?p=389 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MAWffYVUGE The second work was by Richard Strauss. It is a favorite of mine called "Metamorphosen". He wrote it between august 1944 and march 1945. Though the exact meaning of the piece is unclear, and Strauss died without commenting on it, the music speaks to the heart and its emotions are pretty powerful. This was written by a great twentieth century composer at the time of his country's greatest physical and moral suffering. When compared to his earlier work, its obvious the drastic change he went through. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphosen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glMeg3hm_hg Dimitri Shostakovitch wrote his 7th symphony, the "Leningrad" partly from within the walls of the doomed city. Shostakovitch is regarded as a sort of musical spokesperson for the suffering of the Russsian people as much under Stalin as during the Great Patriotic War against the Germans. He would wait for the early 1960s to write a symphony (#13) about the massacre of "Babi Yar", but the 7th was written in the heat of the invasion of his country and the unimaginable suffering of the city of Leningrad. http://www.markwigglesworth.com/notes/marks-notes-on-shostakovich-symphony-no-7/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-ZEoNTtRB8 Hope you enjoy. If you know of others like this, please share.
Great to discover this post. I have been thinking about Classical music and World War 2. I am familiar with Shostakovich's 13th symphony but not his 7th. The Mark Wrigglesworth link to the background to the 7th symphony are very helpful. Thank you.
and another from 1944 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvFY93WBPPY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXOqq8-p_aM
Thank you Sheldrake, time I explored the work of Sir William Walton. I have been advised elsewhere that Sir Michael Tippett needs to be included in this thread. Someone else I am trying to learn about. Found a helpful obituary here. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-sir-michael-tippett-1137828.html Currently listening to 'A Child of Our Time' from 1941 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH9kXjjK3-4
Just discovered Bohuslav Martinu ' Memorial to Lidice' commemorating the massacre of the men of the Czech village on 10th June 1942, and the forced deportation of the women and children from the village, as part of the reprisals for the assassination of Heydrich. This work was written in 1943. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYx89wbtlFI
Above link seems to be 'dead' or perhaps never worked. Trying again to post link to Martinu's 'Memorial to Lidice'.