Symphony No. 3 (Lilburn)
Encyclopedia
The Symphony No. 3 of Douglas Lilburn
was completed in 1961, in response to a sabbatical from Victoria University of Wellington
. It was given its premiere
the following year.
The symphony
was described by Lilburn as "a harsh, didactic personalised piece of searching rhetoric", and indeed of all his compositions is the one with the largest twelve-tone influence. It is a one-movement work in five sections, marked Moderato
-Vivace
-Allegro-Andante-Allegro, and is shorter than his other symphonies, typically lasting some fifteen minutes in performance.
Unlike with his other symphonies, Lilburn provided a synopsis for this work:
The opening statement of the symphony contains a three-note rising figure which directly recalls Sings Harry, Lilburn's song cycle
to words of Denis Glover
, and some critics have identified Harry, and Lilburn's identification with the character, as the true subject of the symphony.
The Third Symphony was among Lilburn's last purely acoustic
compositions; soon after its completion he turned his attention to electronic music
, in which field he spent the remainder of his career.
Several recordings of the symphony exist.
Douglas Lilburn
Douglas Gordon Lilburn ONZ FRCM was a New Zealand composer.-Early life:Lilburn was born in Wanganui. He attended Waitaki Boys' High School from 1930 to 1933, before moving to Christchurch to study journalism and music at Canterbury University College...
was completed in 1961, in response to a sabbatical from Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
. It was given its premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
the following year.
The symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
was described by Lilburn as "a harsh, didactic personalised piece of searching rhetoric", and indeed of all his compositions is the one with the largest twelve-tone influence. It is a one-movement work in five sections, marked Moderato
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
-Vivace
Vivace
Vivace is Italian for "lively" and "vivid". It is pronounced in the International Phonetic Alphabet.Vivace is used as an Italian musical term indicating a movement that is in a lively mood ....
-Allegro-Andante-Allegro, and is shorter than his other symphonies, typically lasting some fifteen minutes in performance.
Unlike with his other symphonies, Lilburn provided a synopsis for this work:
The first [episode], introductory, develops an idea heard from a solo bassoonBassoonThe bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
. The second is an Allegro set going by solo trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
. This reverts to the mood of the introduction until the side drumSnare drumThe snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
decides on another Allegro. The fourth section is a slower one, again launched by trumpet and concerned with some dialogue for brass. This also returns briefly to the introduction, and the final section is in the nature of a fragmented codaCoda (music)Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
.
The opening statement of the symphony contains a three-note rising figure which directly recalls Sings Harry, Lilburn's song cycle
Song cycle
A song cycle is a group of songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a single entity. As a rule, all of the songs are by the same composer and often use words from the same poet or lyricist. Unification can be achieved by a narrative or a persona common to the songs, or even, as in Schumann's...
to words of Denis Glover
Denis Glover
Lieutenant Commander Denis James Matthews Glover DSC was a New Zealand poet and publisher.Well-known for radical leftist opinions, he was often in trouble with authorities. In 1935 he founded the Caxton Press, which he used to encourage a less sentimental style of poetry in New Zealand than was...
, and some critics have identified Harry, and Lilburn's identification with the character, as the true subject of the symphony.
The Third Symphony was among Lilburn's last purely acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
compositions; soon after its completion he turned his attention to electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, in which field he spent the remainder of his career.
Several recordings of the symphony exist.