Symphonies in 3 Movements brings together four works united—unexpectedly—by form rather than era. Conducted by Bar Avni, the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine explores symphonic writing across three centuries, revealing striking continuities beneath stylistic contrast.

Charlotte Sohy’s Symphony in C-sharp minor “Grande Guerre” (1914–17) opens the program with post-Romantic intensity and cyclic architecture inspired by César Franck. Written during World War I and unheard in the composer’s lifetime, it moves between anguish, fragile lyricism, and dramatic propulsion.

Darius Milhaud’s compact Chamber Symphony No. 1 “Le Printemps” offers brilliant contrast. In barely four minutes, its polytonal clarity, transparent scoring, and playful wit distill symphonic thinking into miniature form.

C.P.E. Bach’s Symphony in D major Wq 183/1 injects Sturm und Drang energy. Tonal ambiguity, syncopation, and sudden contrasts lend the work a startling modern edge, bridging Baroque inheritance and Classical innovation.

Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements (1942–45), composed in the United States during WWII, closes the album with rhythmic drive and cinematic tension. Jazz-inflected gestures, incisive orchestration, and underlying wartime imagery give the work both structural rigor and emotional weight.

Recorded in April–May 2025 at the Auditorium of the Opéra National de Bordeaux, this album reflects Bar Avni’s curatorial vision: four symphonies in three movements, each complete in itself, yet forming a unified, dramaturgically shaped journey.

Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine
Bar Avni – conductor