Symphony No. 2 (MacMillan)

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The Symphony No. 2 is a symphony for chamber orchestra by the Scottish composer James MacMillan. It was first performed at Ayr Town Hall on 2 December 1999, by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under MacMillan. The piece is dedicated to the writer and MacMillan's "fellow Ayrshireman" Andrew O'Hagan. [1]

Contents

Composition

The symphony has a duration of roughly 25 minutes and is composed in three numbered movements. The work is largely build upon MacMillan's 1985 Piano Sonata, about which the composer commented in the score program notes, writing, "The original is 'opened up' to new forms of expansion, sometimes according to colouristic potential, other times to dramatic or even originally unseen potential. Sometimes new layers are added, such as the march, sometimes material has been projected into new contexts." [1]

Instrumentation

The work is scored for a chamber orchestra comprising two flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), two oboes (2nd doubling cor anglais), two clarinets (2nd doubling bass clarinet), bassoon, contrabassoon, two horns, trumpets, two percussionists, harp, and strings. [1]

Reception

Nicholas Williams of BBC Music Magazine praised the symphony as "adroitly focused" and wrote, "The unusual internal balance of parts, with a broad-backed second movement taking the strain, feels organically right." [2]

See also

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The Trombone Concerto is a composition for trombone and orchestra written by the Scottish composer James MacMillan. The work was commissioned by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra for their principal trombonist Jörgen van Rijen and co-commissioned by a consortium of orchestras comprising the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Oulu Symphony Orchestra, and the Philharmonisches Orchester des Staatstheaters Cottbus. It was first performed by Jörgen van Rijen and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under the direction of Iván Fischer at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, on 20 April 2017. The piece is dedicated to Jörgen van Rijen and in memory of Sara Maria MacMillan, the composer's granddaughter, who died shortly before its composition.

References

  1. 1 2 3 MacMillan, James (1999). "MacMillan, James: Symphony No. 2". Boosey & Hawkes . Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  2. ↑ Williams, Nicholas (20 January 2012). "Macmillan: Symphony No. 2; Cumnock Fair; Sinfonietta". BBC Music Magazine . Retrieved November 4, 2015.
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