What are your favorite Sinfoniettas?

[Brian]

Listened to the Tubin this afternoon and really enjoyed it. In fact probably the most purely enjoyable Tubin I have heard.

[Symphonic Addict]

Listened to the Tubin this afternoon and really enjoyed it. In fact probably the most purely enjoyable Tubin I have heard.

A most memorable work, isn't it? The 4th Symphony Sinfonia Lirica has a similar nature, though.

[Daverz]

Moeran
Ernesto Halffter
Janacek
Martinu (Sinfonietta "La Jolla")

I see a lot of other Sinfoniettas in my own collection -- Bernard Herrmann wrote one! --  but none that I can readily remember "how it goes".

[André]

Yesterday I listened to Harald Genzmer's Sinfonietta for strings. In 4 movements following the classical format, none lasting over 3 minutes. 10 minutes and, poof! It's over. Absolutely lovely. It struck me that in its miniature format it was an authentic 'sinfonietta'.

[André]

Morton Gould wrote short orchestral works called « symphonettes ». The most recorded one is the Latin American Symphonette, in 4 movements. Anybody knows Gould's symphonettes ?

[Mirror Image]

Listened to the Tubin this afternoon and really enjoyed it. In fact probably the most purely enjoyable Tubin I have heard.

Great to read, Brian. I think it's a fine work with a melody in the first movement that gets stuck in my head immediately (i. e. a pesky earworm).

[Mirror Image]

Morton Gould wrote short orchestral works called « symphonettes ». The most recorded one is the Latin American Symphonette, in 4 movements. Anybody knows Gould's symphonettes ?

I've heard them, but it's been years --- I recall them being light-hearted and jazzy, which is typical of Gould's compositional style.

[Roasted Swan]

I've heard them, but it's been years --- I recall them being light-hearted and jazzy, which is typical of Gould's compositional style.

The Symphonettes are indeed quite light hearted pieces but your telling phrase is that they are "typical of Gould's compositional style".  That is not really the case - that music is simply a facet of Gould's style as Malcolm's Arnold's populist English Dances etc are a facet of his.  There is a far more serious side to Gould's music as well which is well worth investigating - his Symphonies Nos.2&3 are impressive works and I think Fall River Legend is a strong/serious score albeit in a kind of Appalachian Spring idiom.  What is true is that Gould's legacy is more likely to be judged on the handful of "lighter" works rather than a broad overview.

[ritter]

I have a soft spot for the E. Halffter Sinfonietta, which several members have already mentioned in this therad.

One work that is well worth exploring is Ernst Krenek's Sinfonietta "a Brasileira", op. 131 for string orchestra.

https://www.youtube.com/v/V3i631eS9Zo

[pjme]

And there is another Martinu work: Symphonietta giocosa - for piano and orchestra.
This old Supraphon recording remains my favorite:

https://www.youtube.com/v/yEe9cVki2zI

very short and lively:

https://www.youtube.com/v/7KrQVxk7WRs

Viteslava Kapralova: Military symphonietta

The Military Sinfonietta op. 11 was the composer's first larger orchestral piece, although she had gained experience of orchestral writing when composing a piano concerto in 1935. Kaprálová began the orchestral piece at the instigation of Vítězslav Novák; she only added the epithet "military" later when she herself became aware of the boldness of her style and a certain march character in the piece. Its melodic style, rich in intervals of fourths and fifths, also points in this direction. The Sinfonietta expresses the restless character of the time and the world in which people began to sense the threat of Hitler's power. Kaprálová dedicated the work to the then President of the Czech Republic, Edvard Beneš, who was also Commander of the Czechoslovak armed forces. The successful premiere of the work took place in November 1937, with the Czech Philharmonic conducted by composer. A little later the score was published by Melantrich Verlag (1938).

https://www.youtube.com/v/7A6E2WV0DmI

The conductor is (most propably) Marko Ivanovic.

[Symphonic Addict]

Alluring new additions. Much stuff to explore. (yum yum!!)

[Ratliff]

No one else into the Roussel? I'd also add the Tansman Sinfoniettas, which I find more interesting than his proper symphonies.

[Christo]

And there is another Martinu work: Symphonietta giocosa - for piano and orchestra.
This old Supraphon recording remains my favorite:

https://www.youtube.com/v/yEe9cVki2zI

very short and lively:

https://www.youtube.com/v/7KrQVxk7WRs

Viteslava Kapralova: Military symphonietta

The Military Sinfonietta op. 11 was the composer's first larger orchestral piece, although she had gained experience of orchestral writing when composing a piano concerto in 1935. Kaprálová began the orchestral piece at the instigation of Vítězslav Novák; she only added the epithet "military" later when she herself became aware of the boldness of her style and a certain march character in the piece. Its melodic style, rich in intervals of fourths and fifths, also points in this direction. The Sinfonietta expresses the restless character of the time and the world in which people began to sense the threat of Hitler's power. Kaprálová dedicated the work to the then President of the Czech Republic, Edvard Beneš, who was also Commander of the Czechoslovak armed forces. The successful premiere of the work took place in November 1937, with the Czech Philharmonic conducted by composer. A little later the score was published by Melantrich Verlag (1938).

https://www.youtube.com/v/7A6E2WV0DmI

The conductor is (most propably) Marko Ivanovic.

As so often your contributions are the best, many thanks!

[pjme]

Dankjewel, Christo.
But I think many other valuable suggestions were made. I definitely like Roussel's dynamic miniature symphony for strings (la musique qui fait "pschitt"...) and Janáček's mighty work is one of my alltime favorites aswell.

It is amazing that these lovely symphonietta's aren't performed more often - I know, that's a well worn complaint!

[Symphonic Addict]

Otakar Ostrčil: Sinfonietta, Op.37

It has a more symphonic and muscular character than the cheerful and joyful Symphony. Not a lost masterpiece, but it has good merits.

[Symphonic Addict]

Ten sinfoniettas:

Leoš Eugen Janáček (hope you mean the same composer with one 'Janacek' ;-), Sokol Festival
Lennox Berkeley, Sinfonietta
Eduard Tubin, Sinfonietta on Estonian motifs
Bohuslav Martinů, Sinfonietta La Jolla
Ernesto Halffter, Sinfonietta
Joly Braga Santos, Sinfonietta for strings
Ernest John Moeran, Sinfonietta
Malcolm Arnold, Sinfonietta No. 2
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Sinfonietta No. 2
Erik Lotichius, Sinfonietta for strings

Be careful, Christo! My best wishes. Cheers!

[kyjo]

Most of my favorites have already been mentioned:

Janáček
Poulenc
Zemlinsky
Korngold
Halffter
Moeran
Britten
Kaprálová (Military Sinfonietta)
Martinů (Sinfonietta La Jolla)

Wonderfully enjoyable works all, with the Zemlinsky being decidedly the "darkest" work of the bunch.

[Symphonic Addict]

Most of my favorites have already been mentioned:

Janáček
Poulenc
Zemlinsky
Korngold
Halffter
Moeran
Britten
Kaprálová (Military Sinfonietta)
Martinů (Sinfonietta La Jolla)

Wonderfully enjoyable works all, with the Zemlinsky being decidedly the "darkest" work of the bunch.

All mandatory works in nearly every list (from GMG, of course!  )

[vandermolen]

Prokofiev
Moeran
Janacek
Miaskovsky (x2)

[joachim]

It seems to me that no one has yet quoted the Sinfonietta in F major op. 188 by Joachim Raff. This sinfonietta would be the first under this name, composed in 1874 for 10 wind instruments.

"sinfonietta", in principle, means in Italian "little symphony", either in duration or in instrumental strength.

On the contrary, the Sinfonietta op. 5, in B minor, by Erich Wolfgang Korngold is composed for a large symphony orchestra and lasts 45 minutes! I don't know why he called it Sinfonietta instead of Symphony. Perhaps because it is a work of youth because he was 14/15 years old ?

Symphonic Addict asks us for our preferences:


To me :

Korngold
Poulenc
Tubin
Halffter
Janacek
Rimsky Korsakov