Circus Symphonicus
Lee Actor
About this work:
Circus Symphonicus is the third movement and finale of Symphony No. 2, which was commissioned by the Palo Alto Philharmonic, and written between June and December of 2006.
Circus Symphonicus, marked Allegro molto vivace, 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.
Year composed: 2006
Duration: 00:05:30
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)