Of Magnard's 21 published works, nine are for orchestra alone, including his four symphonies, demonstrating his early and significant focus on orchestral writing.
Composition History
Magnard, a committed feminist, premiered his Fourth Symphony with the Orchestra of the Union of Women Teachers and Composers on April 2, 1914.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Magnard chose Vincent d'Indy as his teacher over César Franck due to d'Indy's understanding of the orchestra, which was of prime importance to Magnard.
Historical Context
Albéric Magnard died in 1914 defending his home against invading German soldiers, having written years earlier that the 'victory of certain ideas is well worth the suppression of our tranquillity and even our lives.'
Critical Reception
Paul Dukas, a French composer, praised Magnard's Third Symphony for its 'perfect clarity' and called it a work to be classed 'in the first rank of contemporary production.'
Composer Biography
Albéric Magnard, the composer, abandoned his law studies at age 20 to dedicate himself to composition after hearing Wagner's Tristan und Isolde in Bayreuth.
Composition History
Magnard's Fourth Symphony was composed straight into orchestral score without piano sketches, a process he found painful, stating, 'no other work has given me so much trouble or been conceived in such depths of despair.'
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