Symphony n° 3 : Hommage

Composed in

1991

For

Orchestra

Composition

3/3/3/3 – 4/3/3/1 – Timp. 3 Perc. – H – P – Strings.

Duration

10’30”

First performance

June 18, 1991 at the Teatro Farnese in Parma (I). Orchestra dell’ Emilia-Romagna “Arturo Toscanini” conducted by Arturo TAMAYO. Recording on CD Cyprès CYP 2609.

Commissioned by

Orchestra dell’ Emilia-Romagna “Arturo Toscanini”

Dedicated to

Arturo Tamayo

Publication

Published by CeBeDeM (Brussels, Belgium). (First Prize of 28th International Competition for Symphonic Composition).

Digitilization in progress (Donemus)

Awards

This work was awarded the 30th Premio Musicale Città di Trieste (I) in 1991.

Commercial recordings

Cyprès CYP 2609 (2cd)

Harry Halbreich on Symphony Nr. 3, “Hommage”

This shortest of the Brewaeys Symphonies (it lasts a mere ten minutes) was composed between January and May 1991 as a commission from the Orchestra sinfonica dell’Emilia-Romagna “Arturo Toscanini”, which premiered at the Teatro Farnese in Parma the 18th June of the same year under the work’s dedicatee, Arturo Tamayo. The subtitle “Hommage” refers to Aaron Copland, who had died in December 1990 at the age of ninety, and to whom Brewaeys, who admired him very much, wanted to erect an “In Memoriam”. During the same year, the Symphony won the first prize at the 28th competition of the “Premio Musical Città di Trieste”. The scoring is for a “normal” symphony orchestra of 79, a prerequisite of the commission. The work consists of two parts, performed without a break. The first, rather lively part is based upon the structure and articulation of the first movement from Copland’s Short Symphony (Nr. 2), but without the slightest quotation. As compared to the earlier Symphonies, the spectral harmony is even richer, and more refined, glissandi and “noise” sounds having almost disappeared. The tonal textures have become less overloaded and more transparent, but the composer’s typical gestures, his violent, multicoloured orchestral “blows” are very present. Form and structure have gained in unity and concision. As compared to the sometimes “crazy” exuberance of the Second Symphony, the expression has become more controlled and more serene.The second, very slow part is Brewaeys’ actual homage to the great American master, and thus has no more relationship whatever to his music. This is perhaps his most beautiful “spectral” slow movement, an ethereal, mysterious music on the edge of silence, with many breathing sounds from the wind instruments. A climax is built up very gradually. Just before the end, we hear a bright, intensely luminous episode played by the strings in harmonics and by the vibraphone and crotales played with a bow. As almost always, the work ends in the middle of a suddenly interrupted orchestral crescendo.