Symphony in Three Movements [1945], by Stravinsky, Igor

Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements was written between 1942-5 and dedicated to the New York Philharmonic Symphony Society. The premiere was performed by the New York Philharmonic directed by the composer on 24th January 1946.

Stravinsky had originally planned the work as a concerto for orchestra, with piano and harp assuming concertante roles in the first two movements, while the last movement being a fugue.

A typical performance takes around 20-25 minutes:

1. Crotchet=160 (10 mins)
2. Andante (6 mins)
3. Con moto (6 mins)

In contrast with Stravinsky's earlier Symphony in C, this symphony is much more turbulent and chromatic. Stravinsky referred to it as his War Symphony. While originally meant for the silver screen, it was not smooth enough to remain in the background.

Recordings of Symphony in Three Movements