REPRINT SERIES

 George Antheil’s Symphony No. 4 (“1942”) was written between 1942 and 1943 and first performed in 1944 by Leopold Stokowski and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Subtitled simply with its year of completion, the work reflects Antheil’s transition from his earlier avant-garde style to a more expansive, symphonic language.

Across its roughly 36-minute span, Antheil balances propulsive rhythms with expansive melodic gestures, integrating robust brass writing and vivid percussion throughout. Stylistically, Symphony No. 4 combines Antheil’s characteristic rhythmic vitality—echoing his “ballet mécanique” roots—with more symphonic techniques, including expansive thematic development and contrapuntal passages. The result is a dramatic, large-scale canvas that presages the composer’s later “joyous” Fifth Symphony.