Beneath the Surface - Panufnik centenary: Sinfonia Concertante (Symphony no.4)

Introduction

The Sinfonia Concertante – which bears the alternative title of Symphony no.4 – represented Panufnik's return to the symphony in 1973 after a gap of 10 years. It is on the same scale as the Sinfonia Sacra, but the two works are chalk and cheese – where that work was bold, brassy and full of big orchestral writing, the scoring for the Sinfonia Concertante is for the more subtle combination of flute, harp and strings.

In a note for the piece Panufnik details how he composed the work 'as a token to my wife in the tenth year of our marriage'. He goes on to describe how 'the two movements have many directly contrasting characteristics'. Some of these are between slow and fast, lyrical elements and dance-like elements, symmetry and asymmetry – and show the beginnings of Panufnik's preoccupation with geometry as the inspiration for his symphonic works. A diagram of the work can be found on the composer’s dedicated website.

Despite the structural concerns, Panufnik stresses that the aim of the work is a lyrical one – no doubt with his wife in mind.

Verdict

For me the Sinfonia Concertante is a feminine complement to the masculinity of the Sinfonia Sacra, with silvery string textures that complement the delicate sounds of the flute and harp. This does not make it comfortable music, however, for on occasion the string orchestra signal a sense of dread, particularly in the early nocturnal exchanges, which give a sense of something waiting in the wings, especially when the movement subsides to flute and low harp alone.

The second movement releases this pent-up energy, a lone double bass driving forward urgently, followed soon after by the rest of the strings. It remains restless, despite the calming tones of flute and harp, as a solo violin is allowed a reckless improvisation. The third movement settles down to a less troubled existence, with some nice shading through harp tremolo and calm strings.

This is an unusual piece...but a subtly affecting one that alternates between sounding genuinely creepy or having a nice silvery tone. It is distinctive in Panufnik's symphonic output.

Recordings and Spotify link

Flautist Lukasz Dlugosz and harpist Anna Sikorzak-Olek revel in Panufnik's unusual textures, and are beautifully balanced with the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Lukasz Borowicz. This is part of a disc on CPO that includes the Sinfonia Rustica, plus the important orchestral pieces Polonia and Lullaby. Yet a starry cast conducted by Panufnik himself is difficult to ignore, with soloists Aurèle Nicolet and Osian Ellis. This recording can be accessed on Spotify here

Next up: Sinfonia di Sfere