Triptyque for String Orchestra - II. Berceuse

(Mvmt II. is 4:02-10:20)

Program Note: "'Triptyque' was commissioned by Austrian conductor Kurt Wöss, who was then Principal Conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Japan. Wöss premiered it with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in December 1953, and the score was published in the Soviet Union after Akutagawa’s visit there between 1954 and 1955.

Akutagawa had taken the title of his work from Polish-born composer Alexandre Tansman’s Triptyque (1930). The idea of a triptych informs Akutagawa’s conception of the work: although the three movements in Triptyque are separate, they are intrinsically linked through the repeated use of the opening rhythmic figure. 

While the second-movement Berceuse (lullaby) exhibits a sharp contrast with the first movement, the first movement's rhythmic figure remains an integral part of the lyrical theme. Its presence is also highlighted by means of a special playing technique, where the cello- and viola-players are asked to knock on the body of their instruments." - Kelvin H.F. Lee

Meter: (See the Notable Passages below)
    4:02 - 5/4 Time
    6:24 - 3/4 Time
    7:28 - 2/4 measures are added alongside 3/4, creating 5 beat phrases
    8:27 - 5/4 Time

Table of Contents:
-Mvmt. I - Allegro
-Mvmt. II - Berceuse
-Mvmt. III - Presto