Ancerl 2

Recording: Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

    If I had to characterize this symphony in C#(gross) by Karel Ancerl succinctly, I would say it is aggressive and comedic. With the exception of the third movement all the movements have some comedic or satirical sounding elements, and even the third movement has an oddly aggressive opening. It travels through parts that sound mechanical, mocking , and celebratory at times, but everything has an underlying levity to it, to my ears at least. The movements tend to end optimistically, reinforcing this.

    The third movement even sounds dance-like in spots. There is also a chorale section in this movement with interruptions from the high winds and strings, which reminded a bit of one of my favorite composers, Maslanka (yes I realize that Ancerl came first, just making the comparison). I think I even heard the same suspension at the end of this movement as the end of Maslanka 4.

    Keeping it brief today, this one may not be a must-listen, but there are some interesting things happening in here to be sure. Especially if you want to listen to some interesting orchestration ideas, especially in regard to the extensive use of trumpets in the symphony.

Tomorrow: I suppose I should do some Dvorak?