Israel Yinon: Rudolph Simonsen Symphony 2 "Hellas"

Rudolph Simonsen - Symphony No. 2 "Hellas" (1910) Conducted by Israel Yinon with the Søonderjyllands Symphony Orchestra.

I. The Oresteia - 00:00
II. Loneliness at the Temples - 8:09
III. The Goddess of Victory Pallas Athena - 16:05

Symphony No. 2 is shorter and seems more influenced by Nielsen. It uses advanced counterpoint in the service of dramatic expression. Its three movements deal with three ancient Greek subjects: the first Aeschylus' trilogy The Oresteia, the second paints an austere mood on the Acropolis for Loneliness at the Temples, and the last movement is titled The Goddess of Victory Pallas Athena. This symphony sounds even more original, and makes one sorry that Simonsen's works received so little attention during his lifetime. He narrowly missed having his First Symphony premiered by Toscanini, which would have done much for his reputation.