Symphony for the Garden City (2017)
Symphony Orchestra
Instrumentation: 3222 4331 timp+3 strings
Symphony for the Garden City is a symphonic drama, the form of which is in two halves. The first half features four sections, gradually slowing in tempo and descending in tonality. The opening Allegro is an upbeat C Major, featuring ascending gestures, crisp fanfares, and energetic flourishes throughout the orchestra. After a slowing of the tempo, the solo violin introduces the second section with a jagged, capricious theme in B Minor. The third section opens with the sounding of the chimes, and a lamenting, distant cello solo in an ambient F Minor. After a lush string climax, the piece descends to a low-brass abyss in E minor, from which we must escape in the second half of the work.