Hartmann 2

    Well this was a symphony that I initially started by thinking of it more favorably than his first, but I think in the end the first symphony might be stronger. While the orchestration and pacing is more polished in this symphony it feels like all the life was polished out of it at the same time. This piece is so subdued after the first movement that it just doesn't have the have the energy to carry itself to the finish line.

   Unlike the last symphony of his, where the last movement was strongest, the first here is probably the strongest, but that may only be by the virtue of the piece not having overstayed its welcome yet. The tempo was a bit rigid for my taste and the movement comes in at just under 15 minutes and it supports that, but only barely. I wrote in my notes that the movement seemed short "moments," and that problem carries through the symphony.

   The final 2 movements both have a pastorale quality to them, which is one of the interesting things about the work, since it replaces its scherzo with a pastorale movement. The finale in particular though starts off sounding like an extension of the third, and never really gives the sense of closure that is needed for a work of this scale.