Symphony II (Benson)

From Wind Repertory Project
Warren Benson

Warren Benson


Subtitle: Lost Songs


General Info

Year: 1983 / 1985 / 1987
Duration: c. 27:00
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Carl Fischer Music
Cost: Score and Parts - Rental   |   Score Only - $35.00


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Clarinet I-II-III-IV-V-VI
B-flat Bass Clarinet
Contrabass Clarinet I-II
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Bass Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium I-II
Tuba I-II
Piano
Double Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Bongos
  • Chimes
  • Marimba
  • Orchestra Bells
  • Sleigh Bells
  • Snare Drum (3)
  • Suspended Cymbal (3)
  • Tams (2)
  • Triangle (5)
  • Vibraphone
  • Vibraslap
  • Xylophone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

For Gamma Epsilon Chapter, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Michigan State University Symphonic Band, Stanley DeRusha, conductor; for the dedication of the Clifton and Dolores Wharton Center for the Performing Arts in East Lansing.

- Program Note from composer's website


WASBE has over the years provided a platform for some great additions to the repertoire, but works often lost and forgotten. A wonderful piece from the first WASBE Conference in 1981 was Symphony II - Lost Songs, by Warren Benson. This surely is our equivalent to Das Lied von der Erde with a magical ending of the greatest beauty...

- Program Note by Timothy Reynish


This is a through-composed single-movement work of 27 minutes. Benson dedicated this work to "those wonder bands of my youth: The Fischer YMCA Boys Band, the Cass Technical High School Band, the Leonard Smith Band.

The title reflects the evolution of Benson's melodic ideas for the work: "There are lots of melodies in this work that started as songs but did not end up as complete songs. All composers have melodies which start out as X and end up Y because composers change their minds. They might get three or four different ideas while they're writing but then have to decide what the piece is really about, and it isn't about X, it's about Y. That being said, however, for the large instrumentation of this work, I wrote in a symphonic song-like style.

"The title... does not have any specific programmatic meaning. It is a lengthy serious work which reveals my commitment to simplicity of melodic and harmonic elements...and my interest in resetting rather developing my material. The latter idea may account for the ebb and flow, rise to audibility and fade back, the intrusion sometimes of old material, the persistence of some elements, all of which tend to blur the clarity of formal sections,the exclusivity of content or style in sections usually found in earlier music. Formally then my music is not very tidy in the "old style" sense, rather more complicated and multilayered, as real life experience seems to be."

- Program Note from A Composer's Insight


Media


Media

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State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

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Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

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