Copyright © Spencer Russell Smith 2015

The Second Movement of my First Symphony, "The Rose,"
Performed by the Boston University All-Campus Orchestra, and Conducted by Mark Miller.

This piece was conceived three years ago, as the slow movement, second movement of the symphony using the second movement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony as a structural model. 
After a short chorale by the winds to begin the movement, the a solo clarinet introduces the first theme, followed by a second iteration of the theme, which builds to a large blast by the brass. The horns then take over the main theme to end the first section of the piece, and a trumpet call heralds the entrance of the second theme.
The piece changes from minor to major, and the second theme is much more spritely and joyous than its predecessor. From here, many different instruments take over playing the second theme, building until the piece switches back to minor with a melody made from a mixture of the two themes. The piece then suddenly switches back to major once more, and the entire orchestra comes in with a huge fanfare that appears in each movement of the symphony.
After the dust clears from the fanfares, the first theme comes back in the flute and a solo violin, bringing the piece back to minor once and for all, before a final horn chorale, and a nice high, quiet chord of flutes and strings to end the piece.

13 Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a - Russian Dance (Trepak)

Chris Palmer

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