Description
Instrumentation: 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Clar, 2 Fg, 4 Hn, 2 Tp, 3 Pos; Timp; Strings
Duration: 45:00
The work, which bears the title “Suffering and its Overcoming”, expresses the suffering imposed on man by fate in the appassionato of its first movement. The reassurance of the pacifying secondary theme strengthens the final group’s courage to assert itself. However, all the struggle and rebellion of the development section cannot bring about redemption; and so it sinks back into the theme of suffering in the recapitulation.
The melodic melancholy of the second movement, varied several times, leads to emotional outbursts and sadness; however, Himmlische Tröstung even brings forth sounds of cheerfulness in the midst of the elegiac mood.
This makes a scherzo possible. In its development, the trombones raise the voice of newfound strength, and the trumpets and horns of the trio, dreamy at the beginning, soon blare their lively attack signals against all adversity…
In the confident C major of the finale, shadows soon rise again due to the minor key clouding. A song-like secondary theme tries to banish them and awakens hope for a perhaps still possible happiness. But the battle breaks out again: and it intensifies in the development to tremendous shocks. Although victory has not yet been won, the longing for liberation once again conjures up the soon to be disappointed confidence. Only in the coda does a trombone motif that was only hinted at earlier gain great power; it asserts itself against all evil with an energetic ostinato and thus finally overcomes the suffering. The triumphant stretto then concludes the work.
Johann Karl Regber
FIRST PRINT
REGBER, Johann Karl: 2nd Symphony in C minor