Dante Symphony

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A Symphony to Dante's Divine Commedia, S.109, or simply the "Dante Symphony", is a program symphony composed by Franz Liszt. Written in the high romantic style, it is based on Dante Alighieri's journey through Hell and Purgatory, as depicted in The Divine Comedy. It was premiered in Dresden in November 1857, with Liszt himself conducting, and was unofficially dedicated to the composer's friend and future son-in-law Richard Wagner. The entire symphony takes approximately 52 minutes to perform.

The principal themes for the work had been sketched as far back as 1847; however, serious work on the symphony did not begin until mid-1855. Most of it was completed within the next year. Thus, work on the Dante Symphony roughly coincided with work on Liszt's other symphonic masterpiece, the Faust Symphony, which was inspired by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust drama. For this reason, and because they are the only full-scale symphonies Liszt ever composed (though certainly not his only symphonic works), the Dante and Faust symphonies are often recorded together.

Contents

[edit] Movements

The Dante Symphony consists of two movements:

  1. Inferno
  2. Purgatorio - Magnificat

Crucially, the symphony lacks a Paradiso movement; this is because Wagner had persuaded Liszt that any attempt to describe such a place was beyond the ability of any human composer. The symphony concludes instead with a magnificat set for women's choir.

[edit] First Movement: Inferno

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The first movement is in ternary (ABA) form, and opens with a single unaccompanied melodic line in the brass. A drum-roll is quietly introduced and gradually builds to fortissimo and, after a brief silence, the full orchestra joins in. According to the score, which is in many places inscribed with passages from Dante, this is a musical rendition of the words inscribed over the gates of Hell: Abandon all hope, ye who enter here; the music is accordingly bleak, dark, and turbulent. After passing through the gates, the first theme -- a descending chromatic scale -- is promptly introduced by the strings:

The "Descent" Theme

This extended chromatic line, because of its atonal nature, conveys a sense of urgency and tension. The theme is played twice before being passed around the orchestra and is meant to represent Dante's descent into the lower realms of Hell. It returns periodically throughout the Inferno movement (in various forms) and provides an important driving force behind the music, pushing the symphony closer and closer to its literary climax, the frozen floor of hell.

The tempo gradually increases from Lento to Allegro frenetico, whereupon a second theme is introduced by the violins:

Theme "B"

This theme is then shortly echoed by the brass as the strings again take up the first theme. Both feature prominently in the music and are thrown around the orchestra piece by piece as though in a whirlwind, as the tempo continues to quicken until finally reaching Presto molto.

At the height of the storm, the third and final theme of Part A appears:

Theme "C"

It is viciously answered by the two previous themes and the climax occurs with a final flourish from the full orchestra. The music begins to dissipate and the original Lento tempo, accompanied by drum beats, reasserts itself. The movement then proceeds to Part B.

[edit] Second Movement: Purgatorio - Magnificat

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Calvocoressi, M. D. (1925). "Liszt's 'Dante' Symphony and Tone Poems." The Musical Times 66 (988): 505-507.
  • Searle, Humphrey. "Franz Liszt" in The Symphony, Volume One: Haydn to Dvorak. Ed. Robert Simpson. 3 Vols. London, UK: Redwood Press Limited, 1972. 262-274. ISBN 0-7153-5523-6

[edit] External links

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