More from the journey through my symphonic collection:
1995
Eklund: Symphony No 11 ‘Sinfonia Piccola’
P Glass: Symphony No 3
R Keeley: Symphony
Keuris: Symphony in D
Rautavaara: Symphony No 7 ‘Angel of Light’
Skerl: Symphony No 8
Soderlind: Symphjony No 5
B Sorensen: Symphony No 1
Sumera: Symphony No 5
Hans Eklund’s 11th Symphony is a two movement work of around 28 minutes duration. Despite its title it is an austere and dark work. The 1st movement opens with a wide ranging and rather contorted idea which sets the tone for a rather humourless and grimly defiant movement. The 2nd slow 2nd movement is even more austere and the work closes in a mood of grudging acceptance of its fate.
Philip Glass’s 3rd Symphony is a four movement work of a little under 30 minutes duration. It is scored for a medium sized string ensemble of 19 players. The 1st movement acts like a prelude to the more vigorous 2nd. The 3rd movement, a Chaconne, is the longest movement and is the focus of the work and the finale is fairly short and lively in the manner of the 2nd movement. This work relies less on Glass’s familiar tricks and mannerisms than its two predecessors and when they do occur in the long 3rd movement they are controlled and more focused to the music’s distinct advantage.
The Symphony of Robert Keeley is a two movement work lasting a little over 20 minutes. The 1st movement is basically a sonata structure and the 2nd a Passacaglia. Keeley style is not particularly difficult and there is a certain masculine energy and determination about the work. The material and language though are not particularly individual and the Symphony seems to rather disconcertingly break off in mid flow.
Tristan Keuris’s Symphony in D is in the classical four movement form and lasts between 25 & 30 minutes. It was among the composer’s final works before his sad early death the following year aged just 50. The 1st movement has impressive clarity and an athletic confidence. The 2nd movement is quite moving with a sad lyrical beauty, though with a more animated central section. The scherzo is hard driven and quite exciting and perfectly conceived. The finale begins slowly before the confident main movement gets going, though personally I feel the level of inspiration has dropped slightly here in what is overall a very fine work.
The 7th Symphony of Rautavaara is a four movement work of between 35 & 40 minutes duration. Three of the four movements are broad, rich and expansive with only the 2nd movement being more animated in tone. There is no denying though the beauty and landscape like painting of the work, Rautavaara’s very personal style manages very successfully to avoid becoming too cloying and in the last movement there is a sense of wonderment and questioning which is very thought provoking.
The Slovenian Dane Skerl’s 8th Symphony lasts about 20 minutes and is a work full of confidence and determination. It is approachable enough but without being really distinctive or memorable.
The 5th Symphony of the Norwegian Dagmar Soderlind is about 25 minutes in duration. It is a fairly eclectic score with romanticism and impressionism rub shoulders with more contemporary elements. The result is quite accessible and not without merit and there is plenty of contrast of texture and material, though ultimately it is not particularly memorable.
The Dane Ben Sorensen’s 1st Symphony is in two connected movements and lasts around 20 minutes. The work basically charts a journey from the higher to the lower ends of the orchestral palette. There is certainly plenty going on in this work which is rather severe in tone, perhaps almost too much at times and ultimately one feels rather unmoved by it all.
Finally Lepo Sumera’s 5th Symphony, which is in one continuous span lasting around 35 minutes. It is the most complex and difficult of Sumera’s six symphonies. In this work texture dominates over thematic content and the textures are often complex and occasionally slightly reminiscent of Lutoslaswski. There is also a certain transparency, which particularly manifests itself in the works concluding pages as Sumera relaxes and opens out the music in a questioning conclusion.
1995
Eklund: Symphony No 11 ‘Sinfonia Piccola’
P Glass: Symphony No 3
R Keeley: Symphony
Keuris: Symphony in D
Rautavaara: Symphony No 7 ‘Angel of Light’
Skerl: Symphony No 8
Soderlind: Symphjony No 5
B Sorensen: Symphony No 1
Sumera: Symphony No 5
Hans Eklund’s 11th Symphony is a two movement work of around 28 minutes duration. Despite its title it is an austere and dark work. The 1st movement opens with a wide ranging and rather contorted idea which sets the tone for a rather humourless and grimly defiant movement. The 2nd slow 2nd movement is even more austere and the work closes in a mood of grudging acceptance of its fate.
Philip Glass’s 3rd Symphony is a four movement work of a little under 30 minutes duration. It is scored for a medium sized string ensemble of 19 players. The 1st movement acts like a prelude to the more vigorous 2nd. The 3rd movement, a Chaconne, is the longest movement and is the focus of the work and the finale is fairly short and lively in the manner of the 2nd movement. This work relies less on Glass’s familiar tricks and mannerisms than its two predecessors and when they do occur in the long 3rd movement they are controlled and more focused to the music’s distinct advantage.
The Symphony of Robert Keeley is a two movement work lasting a little over 20 minutes. The 1st movement is basically a sonata structure and the 2nd a Passacaglia. Keeley style is not particularly difficult and there is a certain masculine energy and determination about the work. The material and language though are not particularly individual and the Symphony seems to rather disconcertingly break off in mid flow.
Tristan Keuris’s Symphony in D is in the classical four movement form and lasts between 25 & 30 minutes. It was among the composer’s final works before his sad early death the following year aged just 50. The 1st movement has impressive clarity and an athletic confidence. The 2nd movement is quite moving with a sad lyrical beauty, though with a more animated central section. The scherzo is hard driven and quite exciting and perfectly conceived. The finale begins slowly before the confident main movement gets going, though personally I feel the level of inspiration has dropped slightly here in what is overall a very fine work.
The 7th Symphony of Rautavaara is a four movement work of between 35 & 40 minutes duration. Three of the four movements are broad, rich and expansive with only the 2nd movement being more animated in tone. There is no denying though the beauty and landscape like painting of the work, Rautavaara’s very personal style manages very successfully to avoid becoming too cloying and in the last movement there is a sense of wonderment and questioning which is very thought provoking.
The Slovenian Dane Skerl’s 8th Symphony lasts about 20 minutes and is a work full of confidence and determination. It is approachable enough but without being really distinctive or memorable.
The 5th Symphony of the Norwegian Dagmar Soderlind is about 25 minutes in duration. It is a fairly eclectic score with romanticism and impressionism rub shoulders with more contemporary elements. The result is quite accessible and not without merit and there is plenty of contrast of texture and material, though ultimately it is not particularly memorable.
The Dane Ben Sorensen’s 1st Symphony is in two connected movements and lasts around 20 minutes. The work basically charts a journey from the higher to the lower ends of the orchestral palette. There is certainly plenty going on in this work which is rather severe in tone, perhaps almost too much at times and ultimately one feels rather unmoved by it all.
Finally Lepo Sumera’s 5th Symphony, which is in one continuous span lasting around 35 minutes. It is the most complex and difficult of Sumera’s six symphonies. In this work texture dominates over thematic content and the textures are often complex and occasionally slightly reminiscent of Lutoslaswski. There is also a certain transparency, which particularly manifests itself in the works concluding pages as Sumera relaxes and opens out the music in a questioning conclusion.
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