User:Hstoops/Symphony No. 2 (Weingartner)

Symphony No.2
by Felix Weingartner
Felix Weingartner around 1890
Key	E-flat major
Opus	29
Period	Romantic
Composed	1897-99
Dedication	Franz Wüllner
Published	1901
Publisher	Breitkopf und Härtel
Duration	47 min
Movements	4

Felix Weingartner's Symphony No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op.29 is a musical composition that Weingartner started in 1897 and completed in 1899. The overall musical language of the piece follows the aesthetics of late-romanticism although with a great emphasis on Schubertian melodicism. Despite that, as other contemporary Austrian composers of the end of the 20th century such as Gustav Mahler or Hans Rott, his second symphony heavily uses a Brucknerian treatment of simple motifs through extensive repetition and grand orchestration.

Instrumentation

The work is scored for symphony orchestra consisting of the following assemble:

Woodwinds

3 flutes (3rd also takes piccolo)

3 oboes (3rd also takes English horn)

3 clarinets

3 bassoons (3rd also takes contrabassoon)

Brass

4 horns

3 trumpets

3 trombones

tuba

Percussion

timpani

Strings

harp

1st violins

2nd violins

violas

cellos

double basses

Form

There are four movements with the scherzo placed second:

1. Lento - Allegro Mosso (E-flat major)
2. Scherzo: Allegro giocoso ³
   ₄ (C major)
3. Adagio, ma non troppo, cantabile ⁴
   ₈ (A-flat major)
4. Allegro risoluto (E-flat major)

A typical performance lasts between 45 and 50 minutes.

Analysis

Movement I

The first movement consists of a sonata form with a slow introduction.

Movement II

The second movement is a simple scherzo and trio in the form of the traditional Austrian ländler similar to the scherzos of his contemporaries Mahler and Rott, who they in turn where inspired by the ländler-scherzos of Bruckner. If the first movement ended in E-flat major, the tonality of the scherzo shifts to C major; the parallel major of the submediant of E-flat major, C minor. Marked "giocoso", the mood is joyful and lively. From all the movements of the symphony, the second is the most outwardly Brucknerian, creating extensive textures based upon simple ostinatos. Nevertheless, this motivic treatment is usually contrasted with strong melodicism both in the strings and horns.

The main theme of the scherzo section is played first in the

Movement III

The forth movement starts with a short slow introduction alluding to the beginig of the symphony.