Second Symphony (Serrano Alarcón)
Subtitle: For Wind Orchestra
General Info
Year: 2017
Duration: c. 27:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Murphy Music Press
Cost: Score and Parts (print) – Rental ($450.00) | Score Only (print) - $98.00
Movements
1. Maestoso - 8:20
2. Con vivacità – 6:40
3. Lento – 8:05
4. Presto – 6:25
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Harp
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V, including:
- Bass Drum
- Crash Cymbals (2)
- Glockenspiel
- Marimba
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tambourine
- Tam-Tam
- Triangles (2)
- Tubular Bells
- Vibraphone
- Whip
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
This symphony was conceived as a work of “tributes” to the Romantic master composers and was especially inspired by their symphonies. These works have had a profound influence on the career of this composer; first as an interpreter and later as a composer: “Although my Second Symphony does not contain explicit musical quotations, any listener will be able to identify this music as relating to these symphonic composers, especially from the 19th century.”
The structure of the Second Symphony resembles that of a Romantic symphony. The first movement is in the form of sonata allegro, albeit reduced, with an initial motive based on an arpeggio of C minor (which subsequently reappears in the final movement, giving the work a cyclical character). The second movement, which is not a “scherzo” in the true classical sense, but which really evokes the “scherzante” character of some Romantic works, also has a structure of sonata allegro form. It is followed by a third movement of a slower character, although characterized by contrasts, written in E-flat major as a relative key of main C minor.
The symphony culminates with the fourth movement in rondo form. There are five sections with three refrains and two internal verses, inspired especially in harmonic, structural and melodic resources of those aforementioned composers that have made an indelible mark on my own compositional development. The fact that the composer is also a pianist has given him the opportunity to access firsthand the works of these great Russian Romantic composers: “As a result, all that I have learned from these masters has allowed me to express my gratitude and pay homage to them through this Second Symphony for Wind Orchestra.“
- Program Note from WASBE
Commissioned by the University of St. Thomas Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Dr. Matthew J. George, conductor.
- Program Note from score
Media
- Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
- Audio CD: University of St. Thomas (Saint Paul, Minn.) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Matthew George, conductor) - 2019
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Grand Symphonic Winds (St. Paul, Minn.) (Matthew George, conductor) - 12 February 2021
- Banda Sinfónica de La Federació de Societats Musicals de la Comunitat Valenciana (Spain) (Carlos Ramón-Pérez, conductor) – 10 July 2019 - WASBE Conference (Buñol, Spain)
- Banda Sinfónica ARMAB (Valencia, Spain) (Paulo Martins, conductor) – 21 July 2018
- University of St. Thomas (Saint Paul, Minn.) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Matthew George, conductor) – 7 May 2017 *Premiere Performance*
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Angelita (2012/2014)
- Cello Concerto (2021)
- Charlie, the Chameleon (2013), from Bestiarium
- Concertango (2004)
- Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble (2018)
- De Tiempo y Quimera (2005)
- Duende (2010)
- El Torico de la Cuerda (2002/2006)
- Enric Cullell (2014)
- Invocación (2017)
- La Dama Centinela (2009)
- La Lira de Pozuelo (2010)
- Marco Polo Trilogy
- Marco Polo: El Libro de la India (2013)
- Marco Polo: The Cathay Years (2010)
- Marco Polo: La Ruta de la Seda (2006)
- Memorias de un Hombre de Ciudad (2003)
- Pas de Quatre (2019)
- Pequeña Suite para Banda (2008)
- Preludio y Danza del Alba (2006)
- Second Symphony (2017)
- Spanish Dances (2021)
- Symphony for Wind Orchestra (2012)
- Three Sketches for Wind Ensemble (2014)
- Tim (2018)
- Tramonto (2007)
- The Unknown Friend (2021)
Resources
- Luis Serrano Alarcón website Accessed 17 July 2019
- Perusal score
- "SECOND SYMPHONY FOR WIND ORCHESTRA by Luis Serrano Alarcón (Spain)." WASBE. Web. (Featured as WASBE’s Composition of the Week, 16 September 2019). Accessed 19 January 2023