This post is as much a philosophical discussion of what a symphony is, or should be, as it is a review of two symphonies, so I’ve posted it under both Essays and Recording Reviews. While I was compiling my list of favorite symphonies and preparing to teach a new course on the symphony, I realized I needed to bring my knowledge of contemporary (post-Stravinsky) symphonies up to speed. So while accumulating recordings for my library, I began organizing my thoughts around what it means to compose a symphony – what are my expectations when I listen to a work titled…
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Mason Bates: Rusty Air in Carolina (2006) Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1934) Johann Sebastian Bach: Air from Suite No. 3 (performed in memory of Lorin Maazel) Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (1830) Bates: Rusty Air in Carolina My main interest in this concert was the work of Mason Bates. Bates, the Pittsburgh Symphony Composer of the Year for their 2012-2013 season, has been brought back in that same role for the 2014-2015 season. What I admire about Mason Bates is his commitment to and passion for merging electronically generated sounds with the acoustic sounds…