description Hartmann: Symphony No. 6 Overview
Symphony No. 6 is an orchestral composition by German composer Karl Amadeus Hartmann, revised in 1953. The work is characterized by its powerful anti-war expression and its rejection of the fascist aesthetics prevalent during the Nazi era in Germany. The symphony is structured in two movements and features a highly complex, contrapuntal style, including an intense closing fugue.
It remains one of Hartmann's most frequently performed and recorded orchestral works in the modern repertoire.
help Hartmann: Symphony No. 6 FAQ
How many movements are in Hartmann's Symphony No. 6?
It has 2 movements rather than the more common four-movement symphonic layout. They are the Adagio and the Toccata variata.
When was Hartmann's Symphony No. 6 completed and premiered?
The work was composed and revised between 1951 and 1953, with its first performance in Munich on April 24, 1953. Eugen Jochum conducted the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra at the premiere. [Hartmann Symphony No. 6](https://www.hartmann-gesellschaft.de/en/werk/vi-symphonie/)
Why is Hartmann's Sixth Symphony associated with anti-war music?
Its forceful, troubled language reflects Hartmann's rejection of fascist aesthetics and the destruction associated with war. The work is better understood as music of resistance and moral seriousness than as a triumphant war piece.
Was the 1953 symphony written entirely from new material?
No. It grew from Hartmann's earlier Symphonie L'Œuvre from 1937 or 1938, while the second movement, Toccata variata, was newly composed for the revised version. [Hartmann Center work notes](https://www.hartmann-gesellschaft.de/en/werk/vi-symphonie/)
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