Sinfonia antartica

Sinfonia antartica ("Antarctic Symphony") is the Italian title given by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams to his seventh symphony.

Vaughan Williams provided the music for the film Scott of the Antarctic in 1947, and was so inspired by the subject that he incorporated much of the music into a symphony. The piece was begun in 1949, and composition completed in 1952, with a dedication to Ernest Irving. The first performance took place on 14 January 1953 in Manchester with Sir John Barbirolli conducting the Hallé Orchestra; the soprano soloist was Margaret Ritchie. The first American performance was given by Rafael Kubelík and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on 2 April 1953.

The work is scored for a large orchestra including:

There is also a wordless three-part women's chorus and solo soprano, which sing only in the first and last movements.

A typical performance lasts around 45 minutes. There are five movements. The composer specified that the third movement lead directly into the fourth. The score includes a brief literary quotation at the start of each movement. They are sometimes declaimed in performance (and recordings), although the composer did not say that they were intended to form part of a performance of the work.

1. Prelude: Andante maestoso (quotation from Shelley, Prometheus Unbound)

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