Maestro Michael Gielen presents the three Symphonies of Stravinsky in is certain to become one of the definitive interpretations for our time. The Symphony in Three Movements was composed during the height of WWII (1942-45), and reflects the composer’s impressions, mostly gained through cinematic representations, of the ongoing war. The Symphony in C was composed during one of the darkest periods in Stravinsky’s – years marked by illness and the death of his mother, his wife and a daughter. However, in trying to focus on formal concerns in the music, Stravinsky tried to keep his personal feelings out of the symphony. The first two movements were composed in Europe and reflect more of a traditional style. The third and fourth movements were composed after Stravinsky moved to America and herald his growing experiments with rhythmic meter change. The final composition on this CD, Symphony of Psalms, is based on various psalms from the Bible and consists of three parts. The score’s inscription à la gloire de Dieu, “to the glory of God,” reveals Stravinsky’s purpose for the work. The text, in Latin, is based on Psalm 150, which exhorts worship through the music of several different instruments, and Psalm 40, a prayer of supplication.