Symphonische Hymnen

The Sinfoniae Drammaticae (1942-1944) was one of the works composed by Karl Amadeus Hartmann during the years of his self-imposed inner exile during the Second World War. Subtitled ‘Triptychon für Orchester’, it consists of three parts: the Symphonische Ouvertüre, the Symphonische Hymnen and the symphonic suite Vita Nova which has sadly not survived. Hartmann devoted great efforts to Sinfoniae Drammaticae, although it was never performed during his lifetime and was only performed publicly for the first time in a concert in 1975 long after his death, having been discovered among the composer’s estate.

Unlike numerous other works by Hartmann, the central movement is framed by two faster movements. The first movement, a fantasy subtitled ’Introduktion, Thema und Variationen’, depicts the overall structure of the composition. Unmistakable strains of Jewish music can be detected in the coda scored for solo string quintet – this was Hartmann’s way of displaying his sympathy with the persecuted Jewish people. The ’Adagio’ at the core of the work has clear associations with Bruckner and Mahler. The finale ‘Toccata’ is characterised by its tempo indication, a dynamic ‘Allegro risoluto’. The Mediterranean atmosphere of the final movement is somewhat reminiscent of Debussy’s Iberia or Ravel’s Rhapsodie Espagnole.