Sinfonia in B 'Melpomene'

In his lifetime Wenzel Pichl (1741-1805) was esteemed as one of the foremost European composers of the time. A friend of Dittersdorf, whose works exerted a strong influence on his development, Pichl wrote symphonies that rank among the most interesting of the period. They are the work of a composer blessed with both excellent technique and considerable dramatic flair. The outer movements of the symphonies are thematically enterprising, bristle with purposeful energy and make very effective use of their orchestral forces. Like Dittersdorf, Pichl had an interest in writing symphonies with extra-musical themes drawn from classical mythology. Melpomene is one of Pichl’s nine symphonies named after the Muses. As a depiction of the muse of tragic poetry it is subtle to the point of impenetrability. The symphony undoubtedly possesses a kind of magisterial sweep, but it is questionable whether any of its individual movements attempt a musical depiction of tragedy.