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Symphony No.1 in G Minor - The Prince
Instrumentierung |
Flöte, Piccoloflöte, Klarinette, Fagott, Oboe, Englischhorn, Bassposaune, Horn, Posaune, Trompete, Tuba, Geige, Bratsche, Cello, Kontrabass, Röhrenglocken, Kleine Trommel, Gong, Pauke, Kontrafagott, Grosse Trommel, Quint, Peitsche, Amboss |
Partitur für |
Sinfonieorchester |
Art der Partitur |
Partitur, Stimmen |
Satz, Nr. |
1 bis 4 von 4 |
Verleger |
Tim Yarham |
Schwierigkeitsgrad |
Schwer |
Länge |
61'0 |
An original work for large orchestra, Symphony No 1 - The Prince - is a work that depicts the life of a great Prince, from birth to death. Video of score at https://youtu.be/k-G3_2Ad9ec
Adagio
A trumpet fanfare introduces the mother as she lies poorly, waiting for the birth of her child. A brief flurry of trumpets precedes the great Lord, as he strides triumphantly into the birth chamber to see his son. While a child is born, the mother dies, her lifeblood staining the sheets on which she has given birth. The Prince is reared mostly by servants, as the Lord has his own life and country to lead. As a young boy, the Prince plays with an elaborate set of toy soldiers, each finely cast and painted, in his mind hearing the music of war. As the day ends, the soldiers lie abandoned on their fields as the Prince is bathed and placed lovingly in bed by his nurse, singing a soft lullaby to send him to the gentle world of sleep.
Alla marcia
The second movement opens as a great army prepares for war, and the Prince prepares for his first command. Clad in the finest armour and mounted on a trained stallion, the Prince believes himself ready to fight, and to win. Alas for our Prince, his father has determined that he will lead the sneak attack against the enemy. As they creep under the cover of an early morning mist, the Prince hums the lullaby his old nurse sang. Unfortunately, the attack fails as enemy scouts see them. With a change in tonality comes a retreat, called by the Prince as he realises that this is one battle he will not win. The army gather their wounded, trusting the dead to the care of their foes. As the shattered and broken mourn the merely dead, the horn section presents a minor setting of the hymn Abide With Me. After a time of grieving, and a time for wounds to heal, a memorial service is held in the capital. Ignoring the details, the recently dead are presented as heroes, fit to inspire the next generation. Word spreads swiftly through the capital that their Lord lies sickly in his rooms, old wounds slowly becoming his death.
Grave
The movement opens with a setting of Chaucer’s words.
The brass introduce the Prince once again, with a fanfare leading to his coronation. With the formalities out of the way, the very rich don their peacock feathers and dance through to the dawn. Who knows how many alliances are made and broken on a night like this? Even the most prepared cannot dance through the entire night, and as the stars fade gently in the sky the last revellers lay down their weary heads. As weary servants pack away the finery for the next grand occasion, some reflect on change, or lack of change.
Lento
The Prince is now past the prime of his life, his body worn beyond its years with the struggles of fighting and governing. A solo cello cries out for the past, calling on the rest of the string section to remember the days of glory. Clad once more in his armour, now battered and worn, the Prince prepares to enter battle again, his fighting never done. As his campaign continues, he finds himself remembering the days of his youth, when battles were always won before the sun had finished its long journey across the sky. The great leader rides forth once more, wearied beyond the physical, his arm slower now than ever before. Memories stir once again of a childhood filled with, if not love, then attention. Games played with soldiers who never died, who were always ready the next day to do battle once again. Ultimately, the Prince knows he will fight until the end of his days.
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