Symphony No. 7 (Williamson)
Encyclopedia
Australian composer
Malcolm Williamson
wrote his Symphony No. 7 in 1984 to a joint commission from the Chamber Youth Strings of Melbourne and the State of Victoria
, Australia
. It was written mostly at the composer's home in Sandon
, Hertfordshire
, England
.
was commissioned to write his Seventh Symphony by Dr Alexandra E. Cameron in 1984 on behalf of the Chamber Youth Strings of Melbourne
. The piece originally had a dual purpose: to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the State of Victoria
, and to give the youth orchestra a showpiece to take on a European tour in 1985. Williamson enjoyed long and fruitful relationships with youth orchestras and other organisations throughout his long career, and also wrote his Symphony No. 5 Aquerò, the Little Mass of St. Bernadette and the ballet Heritage for young players, singers and dancers respectively. The score is dedicated to the memory of a long-time friend of Williamson's who died a year after the work's composition, Dr. Derek Goldfoot, husband of soprano Sybil Michelow (a staunch advocate of Williamson's vocal music).
The first performance of the symphony was planned for 10 January 1985 at Australia House
in London
, but in the event only three of the four movements were played (the scherzo was omitted). This was due to the challenging nature of the music, which meant it was not possible for the youth orchestra to rehearse all the movements sufficiently in time. The first complete performance of the symphony was given by the Chamber Youth Strings of Melbourne in the Irving Hall of the Lauriston Girls' School, Melbourne
, on 12 August 1985.
is broken up into four clearly defined movements
, as follows:
requires the least resources of all his symphonies. Unlike the massive orchestral Sixth Symphony Liturgy of Homage (1982) or the choral-orchestral Third Symphony The Icy Mirror of 1973, the Seventh Symphony is scored for string orchestra
only (consisting of violins, violas, celli and double basses). This gives the work its unique sense of chamber
-like intimacy.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Malcolm Williamson
Malcolm Williamson
Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson AO , CBE was an Australian composer. He was the Master of the Queen's Music from 1975 until his death.-Biography:...
wrote his Symphony No. 7 in 1984 to a joint commission from the Chamber Youth Strings of Melbourne and the State of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was written mostly at the composer's home in Sandon
Sandon
Sandon may refer to:* Sandon, Essex* Sandon, Hertfordshire* Sandon, Staffordshire* Sandon, British Columbia* Sandon, Victoria* Sandon County, New South Wales* Sandon, ancient Hittite deity* Gotska Sandön, a Swedish islandPeople with the name Sandon:...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History of the Work
WilliamsonMalcolm Williamson
Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson AO , CBE was an Australian composer. He was the Master of the Queen's Music from 1975 until his death.-Biography:...
was commissioned to write his Seventh Symphony by Dr Alexandra E. Cameron in 1984 on behalf of the Chamber Youth Strings of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. The piece originally had a dual purpose: to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the State of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, and to give the youth orchestra a showpiece to take on a European tour in 1985. Williamson enjoyed long and fruitful relationships with youth orchestras and other organisations throughout his long career, and also wrote his Symphony No. 5 Aquerò, the Little Mass of St. Bernadette and the ballet Heritage for young players, singers and dancers respectively. The score is dedicated to the memory of a long-time friend of Williamson's who died a year after the work's composition, Dr. Derek Goldfoot, husband of soprano Sybil Michelow (a staunch advocate of Williamson's vocal music).
The first performance of the symphony was planned for 10 January 1985 at Australia House
Australia House
The High Commission of Australia in London is housed in Australia House, a building that also accommodates other Australian federal and state government agencies, including the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, part of King's College London....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, but in the event only three of the four movements were played (the scherzo was omitted). This was due to the challenging nature of the music, which meant it was not possible for the youth orchestra to rehearse all the movements sufficiently in time. The first complete performance of the symphony was given by the Chamber Youth Strings of Melbourne in the Irving Hall of the Lauriston Girls' School, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, on 12 August 1985.
Structure
The symphonySymphony
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...
is broken up into four clearly defined movements
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
, as follows:
- I. Andante - Allegro vivo - Andante
- II. Allegro molto
- III. Andante
- IV. Allegro maestoso ma non troppo
Orchestration
Williamson's Seventh SymphonySymphony
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...
requires the least resources of all his symphonies. Unlike the massive orchestral Sixth Symphony Liturgy of Homage (1982) or the choral-orchestral Third Symphony The Icy Mirror of 1973, the Seventh Symphony is scored for string orchestra
String orchestra
A string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely or primarily of instruments from the string family. These instruments are the violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass , the piano, the harp, and sometimes percussion...
only (consisting of violins, violas, celli and double basses). This gives the work its unique sense of chamber
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
-like intimacy.