Symphonic works vol. 3 (Netherlands Symphony Orchestra; Porcelijn) (2015)

In his third symphony Hendrik Andriessen again displays the whole arsenal of his artistry, above all in the finale consisting of a brilliant fugue. Nothing in this fugue sounds heavy or like intellectual complexity; it instead is filled with the same strong, energetic aspirations that the composer must have felt during the exciting postwar years. The composer conducted the premiere of his third symphony by the Concertgebouw Orchestra on 26 October 1946. The framing movements of his Symphonie concertante are more reminiscent of finely formed symphonic movements, while the central Andante grazioso with its variations is closer to the model from the eighteenth century. This movement merits the attribute »concertante« in a very special way: the woodwinds and brass instruments have prominent parts, while the solo violin and the harp appear in the wonderfully beautiful aria. The Chantecler overture, inspired by the drama by the French stage poet Edmond Rostand (1868-1918), rounds off the CD program. (bron: CPO)