Pyrenean Symphony

The Sinfonía pirenaica (Pyrenean Symphony), inspired by the Pyrenees, was composed by Jesús Guridi in 1945 and premiered on 8 February 1946 in Bilbao by the Bilbao Municipal Orchestra conducted by Jesús Arámbarri. Lasting c. 49 minutes, it consists of three movements:


 * 1) Andante sostenuto — Allegro molto moderato
 * 2) Presto ma non troppo
 * 3) Allegro brioso

All three movements are based in the Sonata form, while the harmonic language reflects Basque folk music through the use of altered thirds and sevenths in a major tonality. While it is an abstract symphony lacking a programme, it usually comes close to the tone of a symphonic poem and it features descriptive effects.

Recordings

 * Bilbao Symphony — Juanjo Mena. Naxos, 2003.