Karel Husa: Symphony No. 1; Serenade; Nocturne
Liner Notes   Cat. No. NWCRL261     Release Date: 2010-09-15

Prague Symphony Orchestra; Foerster Woodwind Quintet; Orchestre des Solistes de Paris; Karel Husa, Conductor

Karel Husa was born in Prague in 1921 and studied there until 1946, when the French government granted him a five-year scholarship under which he studied composition with Nadia Boulanger and Arthur Honegger and conducting with Eugene Bigot, Jean Fournet and Andre Cluytens.

Symphony For Orchestra was composed in Paris during 1952-53 where the composer lived for more than eight years before coming to this country. Although its form resembles the classical symphony, its construction is based more on contrasts and large designs. The three movements can be very distinctly recognized (the third follows the second without interruption) but they are all united by the same constant pulse from the beginning to the end. A large symphony orchestra is used. The movements are marked:

I. Adagio misterioso — Allegro assai
II. Grave attacca
III. Poco piu vivo. Con Moto. Maestoso

Nocturne is the last of three Fantasies For Orchestra (1956) which were commissioned by the Friends of Music at Cornell. It is an atmospheric movement in which the composer specifically set out to explore new colors and other new possibilities in orchestration.

Serenade for woodwind quintet with string orchestra, harp and xylophone, was composed for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in1963 and, following its premiere the following January, it was performed by many European orchestras, and by the New York Woodwind Quintet with the Cornell Symphony Orchestra on the Cornell campus. It is divided into three movements: The Mountain, The Night, and The Dance. It opens in a bright conversational manner, as solo instruments take turns playing. After a calm, restrained section, there is a spirited finale, with a peppering throughout by the xylophone.

This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available as a burn-on-demand CD (CD-R) or download in MP3/320, FLAC or WAV formats. CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print booklet or jewel case included. Full liner notes are accessible via the link above.

Various Artists

Karel Husa: Symphony No. 1; Serenade; Nocturne

MP3/320 $7.99
FLAC $7.99
WAV $7.99
CD-R $7.99
CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print material or jewel case included.
A *.pdf of the notes may be accessed here free of charge.
   Liner Notes



Track Listing

Symphony No. 1: I. Allegro misterioso - Allegro assai
Karel Husa
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Symphony No. 1: II. Grave attacca; III. Poco piu vivo - Con Moto - Maestoso
Karel Husa
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Serenade: I. The Mountain
Karel Husa
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Serenade: II. The Night
Karel Husa
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Serenade: III. The Dance
Karel Husa
Buy
Nocturne
Karel Husa
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