Symphony No. 1 (Bernstein)

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Symphony No. 1
Jeremiah
by Leonard Bernstein
The composer in 1944
Textfrom Book of Lamentations
LanguageHebrew
Composed1942 (1942)
PerformedJanuary 28, 1944 (1944-01-28)
Durationc. 24 minutes
Movementsthree
Scoring
  • mezzo-soprano
  • orchestra

Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 1 Jeremiah was composed in 1942. Jeremiah is a programmatic work, following the Biblical story of the prophet Jeremiah. The third movement uses texts from the Book of Lamentations in the Hebrew Bible, sung by a mezzo-soprano. The work won the New York Music Critics' Circle Award for the best American work of 1944.[1]

Instrumentation

The symphony is written for 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, E-flat clarinet doubling bass clarinet, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, wood block, maracas, piano, mezzo-soprano, and strings. A performance lasts about 24 minutes.[2]

Movements

The symphony is in three movements:

  1. "Prophecy"
  2. "Profanation"
  3. "Lamentation"

Text

Hebrew
Lamentations 1:1–3 (JPS)
אֵיכָ֣ה ׀ יָֽשְׁבָ֣ה בָדָ֗ד הָעִיר֙ רַבָּ֣תִי עָ֔ם הָֽיְתָ֖ה כְּאַלְמָנָ֑ה רַבָּ֣תִי בַגּוֹיִ֗ם שָׂרָ֨תִי֙ בַּמְּדִינ֔וֹת הָֽיְתָ֖ה לָמַֽס׃Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text
בָּכ֨וֹ תִבְכֶּ֜ה בַּלַּ֗יְלָה וְדִמְעָתָהּ֙ עַ֣ל לֶֽחֱיָ֔הּ אֵֽין־לָ֥הּ מְנַחֵ֖ם מִכָּל־אֹֽהֲבֶ֑יהָ כָּל־רֵעֶ֨יהָ֙ בָּ֣גְדוּ בָ֔הּ הָ֥יוּ לָ֖הּ לְאֹֽיְבִֽים׃Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text
גָּֽלְתָ֨ה יְהוּדָ֤ה מֵעֹ֨נִי֙ וּמֵרֹ֣ב עֲבֹדָ֔ה הִ֚יא יָֽשְׁבָ֣ה בַגּוֹיִ֔ם לֹ֥א מָֽצְאָ֖ה מָנ֑וֹחַ כָּל־רֹֽדְפֶ֥יהָ הִשִּׂיג֖וּהָ בֵּ֥ין הַמְּצָרִֽים׃Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text

Lamentations 1:8
...חֵ֤טְא חָֽטְאָה֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םCategory:Articles containing Hebrew-language text

(אֵיכָ֣ה ׀ יָֽשְׁבָ֣ה בָדָ֗ד הָעִיר֙... כְּאַלְמָנָ֑הCategory:Articles containing Hebrew-language text)

Lamentations 4:14–15
נָע֤וּ עִוְרִים֙ בַּֽחוּצ֔וֹת נְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ בַּדָּ֑ם בְּלֹ֣א יֽוּכְל֔וּ יִגְּע֖וּ בִּלְבֻֽשֵׁיהֶֽם׃Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text
...ס֣וּרוּ טָמֵ֞א קָ֣רְאוּ לָ֗מוֹ ס֤וּרוּ ס֨וּרוּ֙ אַל־תִּגָּ֔עוּCategory:Articles containing Hebrew-language text

Lamentations 5:20
...לָ֤מָּה לָנֶ֨צַח֙ תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּCategory:Articles containing Hebrew-language text
...לָנֶ֨צַח֙... תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּCategory:Articles containing Hebrew-language text

Lamentations 5:21
...הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text

Transliteration
 
Eicha yashva vadad ha-ir rabati am hay’ta k’almana, rabati vagoyim sarati bam’dinot hay’ta lamas.Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text
Bacho tivkeh balaila v’dim’ata al leḥeya; ein la m’naḥem mikol ohaveha, kol re’eha bag’du hayu lah l’oy’vim.Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text
Galta Y’huda me'oni, umerov avodah, hi yashva vagoyim, lo matsa mano-aḥ; kol rod’feha hisiguha ben hamitsarim.Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text

 
Ḥet ḥata Y’rushalayimCategory:Articles containing Hebrew-language text

 
(Eicha yashva vadad ha-ir ...k’almana.Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text)

 
Na-u ivrim baḥutsot, n’go-alu badam, b’lo yuchlu yig’u bilvushehem.Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text
Suru tame kar’u lamo, suru, suru, al tiga-u...Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text

 
Lama lanetsaḥ tishkaḥenu...Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text
Lanetsaḥ... taazvenu...Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text

 
Hashivenu Adonai eleḥaCategory:Articles containing Hebrew-language text

English translation

Lamentations 1:1–3 (KJV)
How doth the city sit solitary,
That was full of people!
How is she become as a widow?
She that was great among the nations.
And princess among the provinces.
How is she become tributary!

She weepeth sore in the night,
And her tears are on her cheeks;
She hath none to comfort her
Among all her lovers;
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her,
They are become her enemies.

Judah is gone into exile because of affliction.
And because of great servitude;
she dwelleth among the heathen,
she findeth no rest:
all her persecutors overtook her
between the straits.

Lamentations 1:8
Jerusalem hath grievously sinned;
therefore she is removed:
all that honoured her despise her,
because they have seen her nakedness:
yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

Lamentations 4:14–15
They have wandered as blind men in the streets,
they have polluted themselves with blood,
so that men could not touch their garments.

... Depart ye; it is unclean;
depart, depart, touch not: ...

Lamentations 5:20–21
Wherefore dost thou forget us forever,
and forsake us so long time?

Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord,
and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

Premiere

The work was premiered on January 28, 1944, at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh with the composer conducting the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The soloist was Jennie Tourel. It was premiered in New York City at Carnegie Hall on March 29, 1944, again with Tourel as soloist.[2]

Recordings

Bernstein first recorded the symphony in February 1945 with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and soloist Nan Merriman for RCA Victor.[3] He re-recorded it in stereo for CBS Records in 1962 with Tourel and the New York Philharmonic. A live concert with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and soloist Christa Ludwig at the 1977 Berlin Festival was recorded and released as DVD.[4] It was also released as LP/CD by Deutsche Grammophon.[5]

It went unrecorded by anyone else until after the composer's death. It has since been taken up by several conductors, and recordings now include those by Leonard Slatkin (twice), James Judd, Marin Alsop, Gustavo Dudamel and Antonio Pappano. The "Lamentation" movement has also been recorded as a standalone work. A transcription of the "Profanation" movement exists for wind band, completed by Frank Bencriscutto.[6] As a doctoral student, Mike Lebrias transcribed the entire symphony for wind ensemble, premiering in October of 2023.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Music Critics Prize Won by Bernstein". The New York Times. May 16, 1944. p. 19. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Leonard Bernstein, "Jeremiah, Symphony No. 1 (1942)", (New York and London: Boosey & Hawkes, 1992), ii.
  3. ↑ "Bernstein Orchestral & Vocal Works", Gramophone
  4. ↑ Leonard Bernstein: Chichester Psalms / Symphony 1 & 2. West Long Branch, New Jersey: Kultur International Films. ISBN 0-7697-8091-1.
  5. ↑ "Jeremiah recordings". leonardbernstein.com. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Leonard Bernstein – Profanation – wind band".
  7. ↑ Bernstein: Symphony No. 1 Jeremiah for Wind Ensemble on YouTube, University of Texas Wind Ensemble, Mike Lebrias (conductor), Claudia Chapa (mezzo-soprano)
Category:Symphonies by Leonard Bernstein Category:1942 compositions Category:Jewish music Category:Orchestral compositions with vocals Category:Works based on the Old Testament Category:Music based on the Bible Category:Songs in Hebrew
Category:1942 compositions Category:Articles containing Hebrew-language text Category:Articles with short description Category:Jewish music Category:Music based on the Bible Category:Orchestral compositions with vocals Category:Short description is different from Wikidata Category:Songs in Hebrew Category:Symphonies by Leonard Bernstein Category:Use mdy dates from July 2024 Category:Works based on the Old Testament