Symphony No. 2
Lee Actor
About this work:
I consider a symphony to be the most serious musical statement a composer can undertake. In Symphony No. 2, I have attempted to write a piece that integrates an overall seriousness of purpose with contrasting elements of humor and lighthearted fun.
The first movement, marked Andante maestoso, is at times a sort of musical kaleidoscope, in which musical fragments are juxtaposed and combined in surprising ways, then breaking off and generating new versions of themselves. It begins with a short fanfare-like statement for brass and percussion of decidedly martial character, which ends abruptly. The woodwinds softly echo this theme, out of which grows a brief and mysterious English horn solo. The brass take up the fanfare again, but this attempt also ends in sudden silence. Finally the strings try a gentle version of the fanfare, which slowly builds to a climax. Out of this, a 16th note figure which had been in the background now comes to the fore as thematic, first played by the three trumpets, which in turn is shortly transformed into a playful theme first heard in the piccolo and flutes. This eventually builds to another climax, following which the English horn recalls its solo from near the beginning of the movement. This becomes the basis for a calmer, lyrical section that is characterized by a sad, wistful feeling. The lyrical theme slowly builds in ever increasing waves of intensity until the martial fanfare from the beginning finally bursts out at maximum volume. After the expected silence, what follows is a section that recapitulates the initial material, while simultaneously developing and transforming it further. A brief coda follows and the movement ends quietly.
Much of the second movement, Adagio molto, is reminiscent of the chaconne, a baroque form of continuous variations in which a regularly recurring series of harmonies are utilized. In this case, the harmonies are those from the initial fanfare of the first movement, but the mood is now very different – tragic or even funereal in tone. A simple, plaintive melody is usually present, though at times everything is stripped away, leaving only a rhythmic accompaniment in the percussion. Eventually this melody becomes the basis for a fugal section, leading to a tremendous climax on the harmonies of the chaconne. A few brief fragments of the melody are heard and the movement quickly ends.
The third and final movement, Allegro molto vivace, is a radical change of pace and mood from the previous movement. It is very fast and irreverent, and has the character of a scherzo. Structurally it is similar to a rondo, roughly of the form ABA-CBC-ABA. This light-hearted romp begins with the snare drum softly playing just the bare rhythm of what will be the first theme, and the tone is set. Woodwinds impudently interrupt the strings, the percussion mugs for the camera wherever possible, and the brass either put on their best imitation of an outdoor oom-pah band, or try to blast the rest of the orchestra with sheer volume. At times the music takes on a kind of circus-like atmosphere. All this merriment leads unexpectedly midway through the movement to … a fugue (the second “C” section of ABA-CBC-ABA). This quickly transitions back to more familiar territory, but surprising new twists and turns still abound, leading to a rousing and emphatic ending.
Symphony No. 2 was commissioned by the Palo Alto Philharmonic, and written between June and December of 2006.
Year composed: 2006
Duration: 00:24:10
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Standard Orchestra
Instrumentation: 1 Piccolo, 2 Flute, 2 Oboe, 1 English Horn, 2 Clarinet, 1 Bass Clarinet, 2 Bassoon, 1 Contrabassoon, 4 Horn in F, 3 Trumpet, 3 Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Timpani, 3 Percussion (General), 1 Strings (General)