George Antheil: Fifth Symphony

What we really have here is the second in a pair of fifth symphonies. From 1943 to 1946, George Antheil composed a fifth symphony subtitled "Tragic". The work was dedicated to his brother who died in battle during World War II.
He was later commissioned by Eugene Ormandy around 1947 to produce a new symphony. Antheil decided to number this one as a "fifth" because supposedly he wasn't satisfied with the result of the "Tragic" symphony. In contrast with the earlier work, this piece is very lively, particularly in the outer movements. It makes sense that the composer gave this symphony the subtitle "Joyous".
Performed by the Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Barry Kolman
This piece is joined on the recording with Antheil's Capital of the World ballet and a short piece entitled Archipelago. It is available through Centaur Records: www.centaurreco...
Artwork by Andrea Brueck: andreabrueckpai...