STRAVINSKY: SYMPHONY OF PSALMS
MOVEMENT I: Prelude (prayer in adversity) – Psalm 39 vv 12–13
Reh.
No.
4
5
7
9
10
Text (Vulgate)
Translation
12
Exaudi orationem meam, Domine,
Et deprecationem meam:
Auribus percipe lacrimas meas.
Ne sileas
Quoniam advena ego sum apud te et
peregrinus
sicut omnes patres mei.
Remitte mihi, ut refrigerer
13
prius quam abeam, et amplius non ero.
Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and my plea for indulgence.
With your ears grasp my tears.
Be not silent.
For I am a stranger with Thee, and a
sojourner,
as all my fathers were.
O spare me, that I may recover
strength
before I go hence, and be no more.
Tonal
centre
E
G
MOVEMENT II: Double Fugue (God’s answer to prayer) – Psalm 40 vv 1–3
5
10
12
14
Orchestral fugue (exposition)
C min
Choral fugue (exposition)
Expectans expectavi Dominum
et intendit mihi
Et exaudivit preces meas:
et eduxit me de lacu miseriae,
et de luto faecis
Choral stretto
Et statuit super petram pedes meos:
et direxit gressus meos.
Orchestral stretto
E flat
minor
‘Pyramid of themes’: Orchestral and
Choral (inverted?) combined
Et immisit in os meum canticum
novum, carmen Deo nostro.
Videbunt multi et timebunt
et sperabunt in Domino.
I waited patiently for the Lord
and he inclined to me
and heard cry my.
He brought me out of a pit of misery
and from the miry clay.
B flat?
and set my feet on a rock
and established my goings.
B flat
to G
and put in my mouth a new song,
even praise unto our God:
many shall see it
and fear
and shall trust in the Lord.
E flat
MOVEMENT III: Finale (paean of praise to God) – Psalm 150
3
6
9
11
12
Refrain
Alleluia. Laudate Dominum in
sanctis Ejus.
Laudate Eum in firmamento virtutis
Ejus. [Laudate Dominum.]
First Dance Section
(Orchestral)
Laudate Eum in virtutibus Ejus:
Laudate Eum secundum
multitudinem magnitudinis Ejus.
Laudate Eum in sono tubae. Laudate
Eum.
(in psalterio et cithera: omitted)
Refrain
20
Second Dance Section
Laudate Dominum, laudate Eum.
(Orchestral)
Transition
Laudate Eum in timpano et choro,
21
Laudate Eum in cordis et organo.
13
18
26
Peroration
Laudate Eum in cymbalis bene
sonantibus:
Laudate Eum in cymbalis
jubilationibus.
Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum.
29
Refrain
[Alleluia. Laudate Dominum.]
22
23
Symphony of Psalms_text_2004
Alleluia. Praise the Lord in his
holiness.
Praise him in the firmament of his
power. [Praise the Lord.]
C–G
+ D – E flat
– B flat?
or E natural?
Praise him for his mighty acts:
Praise him according to his
excellent greatness.
Praise him with the sound of the
trumpet. Praise him.
Praise the Lord, praise him.
Praise him with timbrel (drum)
and (choral) dance,
Praise him with stringed
instruments and organ.
D
Praise him upon the loud
cymbals:
Praise him upon the highsounding (jubilant) cymbals.
Let everything that hath breath,
praise the Lord.
E flat
[Alleluia. Praise the Lord.]
C–G
E flat–B flat?
C+E natural