# Symphonic poems



## Clouds Weep Snowflakes (Feb 24, 2019)

Does anyone here have a piece to recommend? I mean something like "Nyx" by the Finnish composer Salonen.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Did you mean contemporary? Perhaps you could be more specific given that there is almost a 200 year range to pick from.


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## Clouds Weep Snowflakes (Feb 24, 2019)

Becca said:


> Did you mean contemporary? Perhaps you could be more specific given that there is almost a 200 year range to pick from.


I suppose; so you say symphonic poems are relatively new?


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Here's another great one by a famous Finn.

Symphonic poems are "relatively" new in the sense that they postdate the creation of the symphony, but they've been around at least a good 150 years if not more. I believe Liszt was one of the first to compose in that form.

Also, I'd say this thread definitely belongs in Orchestral rather than Solo/Chamber.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Clouds Weep Snowflakes said:


> I suppose; so you say symphonic poems are relatively new?


Only if you consider 200 years to be relatively new.


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Wanting to know what the difference is between a symphonic poem and tone poem with examples. Thank you


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Is there a difference? Sibelius and Richard Strauss preferred to call theirs "Tone Poems", perhaps to de-emphasise any symphonic connotations? Sorry if that's not in the slightest bit helpful, but both forms are romantic evocations of poems, stories, landscapes, that sort of thing, whether you're Liszt, Sibelius, Dvorak or even Arnold Bax.......

Incidentally, to blur the lines even more, Sibelius referred to Pohjola's Daughter (for me the finest of his tone poems) as a Symphonic Fantasy. He gave the same label originally to his last symphony as well.....


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

And then there is Berlioz' Harold en Italie or even Tchaikovsky's Manfred "romantic evocations of poems, stories..."


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Ah! Now we're into the wonderful world of the Symphony with fluid externally-influenced programme! To which we could add Rimsky Korsakov in Scheherazade and Antar, Suk's Summer Tale, and yet not get confused with Ma Vlast or Lemminkainen, as cycles of symphonic poems!

Waters duly muddied...!


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

CnC Bartok said:


> Waters duly muddied...!


Glad to oblige 

As to the term 'symphony' in this regard, the quotes are on purpose as they certainly wouldn't pass muster according to Robert Simpson's definition in his classic books.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Glad I didn't mention Mathis Der Maler, then.....:tiphat:

Actually it is worth reading what Simpson says of Hindemith the symphonist. Respectful, but true.


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