Symphony no 1 in One Movement

Program Notes

Symphony No. 1 In One Movement, my first composition for symphony orchestra, is a symphony not in form, but in its overall arch and dramatic affect. The piece is scored for piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, English horn, 2 French horns, 2 trombones, timpani, glockenspiel, vibraphone, concert bass drum, suspended cymbal, piano, and strings. The orchestration style is heavily influenced by the orchestral music of Claude Debussy, as well as the scores of Japanese film composer Shinji Miyazaki in its highly melodic content and heavy use of winds. The piece contains three major themes. The first appears in full only twice, once beginning in m. 17, and again at m. 175, although fragments of this theme's motivic material can be heard in the flute and piccolo throughout the piece. This first theme is meant to create a stark contrast from the much fuller orchestral sound of the rest of the piece. The second theme is what I've come to call the “solo theme,” as it appears multiple times throughout the piece with a different solo instrument carrying the primary melody each time. This theme appears first in solo violin at m. 37, and later in solo flute at m. 205 and solo piano at m. 259. The final theme is the main melodic material for the majority of the piece, although it does not appear in full until m. 96, where it takes the form of an English horn solo. However this theme gradually takes over the piece from this point forward, including the main melody of the climax at m. 273. Overall, this piece's aesthetic is a mix of film music and 20th century French style symphonic music, emphasizing a horizontal sense of counterpoint and melody rather than vertical harmonies.

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