Symphonic movements scored for just one section of the orchestra

[Maestro267]

Listening to Nielsen's 4th Symphony, and I noticed that the second movement is scored for woodwinds alone. Which led me to think about other instances of this, where one movement of a symphony is scored entirely for just one section of the orchestra, while the rest of the symphony uses the full orchestra. A few I know of:

Mahler 5, 4th movt., scored for strings and harp
Vaughan Williams 8, 3rd movt. scored for strings (The 2nd movement is scored for the wind instruments alone, but this is the woodwind AND brass sections.)

Any other examples?

[Brian]

There actually are some strings in that Nielsen movement...but not a lot!

First things that come to my mind are not really true examples. Josef Suk's A Summer's Tale has a movement for two cor anglais, harp, and I think viola and two violins. And George Lloyd's Fifth Symphony has a movement that omits strings altogether, bracketed by two that omit brass and percussion.

[ritter]

Georges Enesco's Orchestral Suite No. 1, op. 9, has a first movement, prélude à l'unisson, scored only for strings—undivided violins, violas and cellos—and kettledrum. In the following three movements, the scoring is expanded to include woodwinds, horns and double bass, and the violins are split into first and second.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Vaughan Williams 8, 3rd movt. scored for strings (The 2nd movement is scored for the wind instruments alone, but this is the woodwind AND brass sections.)

Hindemith's Sinfonia Serena does exactly the same thing. It was composed earlier than the VW 8th, and my pet theory is that VW used the Hindemith as a model.

[Symphonic Addict]

2nd movement from Nielsen's 6th Symphony is only scored for percussion.

[Symphonic Addict]

Thema I, the first section from Langgaard's 6th Symphony is for strings (a really lovely moment, btw), so is the 2nd from his 14th Symphony.

[Jo498]

Tchaikovsky's 4th has the Scherzo for strings pizzicato but woodwinds enter in the trio. There are several early Haydn symphonies with strings only slow movements, I think. Admittedly the orchestra often had only 3-4 woodwind and horns anyway but it is still an obvious contrast.

[Mirror Image]

Georges Enesco's Orchestral Suite No. 1, op. 9, has a first movement, prélude à l'unisson, scored only for strings—undivided violins, violas and cellos—and kettledrum. In the following three movements, the scoring is expanded to include woodwinds, horns and double bass, and the violins are split into first and second.

Good day to you, Rafael. Not to derail this thread, but what would you say are your favorite recordings of Enescu's Orchestral Suites Nos. 1-3? I've only got Foster (Apex/Warner) and Rozhdestvensky (Chandos).

[Roasted Swan]

2nd movement from Nielsen's 6th Symphony is only scored for percussion.

erm.... not so .... it is lightly scored for percussion and wind.....

[Brian]

Thema I, the first section from Langgaard's 6th Symphony is for strings (a really lovely moment, btw), so is the 2nd from his 14th Symphony.

That movement in the 14th is "Unnoticed morning stars," one of the great symphonic slow movements of the 20th century and something that ought to be as big of a pops hit as Barber's adagio.

[Christo]

Arnold Cooke's Concerto for Orchestra, every movement by one of the sections in order to built up the complete symphony orchestra (IIRC).

[vandermolen]

I love the VW 'Cavatina' from Symphony No.8. Isn't the second movement scored only for wind instruments?

Added later. Sorry - I missed the earlier posting about this 

[Jo498]

Like in Britten's Young Person's Guide, but these are very short sections and it's one of the main points of the whole piece.

[pjme]

Alexander Tcherepnin:

https://www.youtube.com/v/xc7K7ToLQ1g

Many 20th century composers  "experimented" with various orchestral combinations per movement - Bartok's second pianoconcerto, Badings' harpconcerto....

[ritter]

Good day to you, Rafael. Not to derail this thread, but what would you say are your favorite recordings of Enescu's Orchestral Suites Nos. 1-3? I've only got Foster (Apex/Warner) and Rozhdestvensky (Chandos).

Good day, John. TBH, I don't even remember who conducts the recordings I have of the piece (I'll have to check when I get back home), so there's clearly no "favourite". 

[Mirror Image]

Good day, John. TBH, I don't even remember who conducts the recordings I have of the piece (I'll have to check when I get back home), so there's clearly no "favourite". 

Ah, okay. Thanks, Rafael.

[Maestro267]

erm.... not so .... it is lightly scored for percussion and wind.....

Yeah, the most memorable bit from that movement for me is the muted trombone glissandi.

[ritter]

Ah, okay. Thanks, Rafael.

John, I've checked, and I only have that Orchestral Suite Nr. 1 in two recordings: a wartime broadcast from Bucharest conducted by the composer, and Horia Andreescu's rendition in the Olympia series devoted to Enesco's orchestral music. Perhaps I should get a better sounding version (Lawrence Foster—who does a splendid job with the "Villageoise" suite—is a strong candidate).

Apologies for remaining off-topic.

[Mirror Image]

John, I've checked, and I only have that Orchestral Suite Nr. 1 in two recordings: a wartime broadcast from Bucharest conducted by the composer, and Horia Andreescu's rendition in the Olympia series devoted to Enesco's orchestral music. Perhaps I should get a better sounding version (Lawrence Foster—who does a splendid job with the "Villageoise" suite—is a strong candidate).

Apologies for remaining off-topic.

Very nice. Let's see, the Foster set is available in a 2-CD set reissued on Apex (which is the version I own):

[asin]B0007TF11C[/asin]

You may be able to find it cheaper on other Amazon sites.

[vers la flamme]

Apologies in advance for derailing the thread even further...

Very nice. Let's see, the Foster set is available in a 2-CD set reissued on Apex (which is the version I own):

[asin]B0007TF11C[/asin]

You may be able to find it cheaper on other Amazon sites.

I know nothing of Enescu, would this be a good place to start? I like Apex and their dirt cheap reissues of great recordings...