Symphony no. 4 op. 33

Henri Reber’s fourth and last symphony, which appears to have been started in the 1840’s, was dedicated to the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, where it was premiered on 22 February 1857. The score was published the following year by Richault, who brought out the composer’s three earlier symphonies at the same time. Classical in his use of form, Reber’s masterful style of writing follows in the Viennese tradition, while his instrumentation is expressive and his ideas always elegant. The G major work opens with a flamboyant allegro, whose theme is proudly introduced by the strings and immediately taken up by the woodwinds. The darker tones of the horns in conjunction with the key of C minor immediately places the slow movement in a completely different mood. Here, Reber develops a theme “of delightful sweetness”, which was enthusiastically received by audiences of the period. The scherzo oozes charm with its light, original instrumentation. The delightful theme given to the oboe, then the flute, delicately unfurls over pizzicati from the strings. A fugato based on a colourful subject serves as the main theme of the finale. Although rarely played during the composer’s lifetime, this fourth symphony aroused keen interest. Saint-Saëns made a four-hand piano transcription of the work, as he had done for the previous symphonies. The critics often delighted in pointing out the “somewhat retrospective” flavour of Reber’s works, but they regarded this symphony as an original, highly personal work “full of interesting detail and finely crafted in its orchestration”.