Press: Symphony No. 3, Visions
Formally, celebrated Chicago composer James M. Stephenson’s Symphony No. 3 is classical in nature. The work’s opening E-minor 7th chord is central to the piece, both harmonically and structurally, as is the opening flute duet. These materials are constantly in the pages of the work, whether hidden or most obvious. The four movements are laid out in B minor, E major, G major, and D major, spelling out the notes in the opening chord (although not in order). The ideas in the symphony, always reworked and revisited, appear in many guises, ranging from soaring and heroic, to quirky and fugal, to lush and sentimental, to intimate and lonely, to grand and triumphant. Particularly evocative and unusual is the use of three saxophones in the central section of the third movement. The piece was composed for the sheer enjoyment of the players on stage, the conductor, and the audience in the hall. The composer’s goal was to write music that he could envision bringing colleagues, patrons, and conductors to the edge of their seats, eager to play and experience.
Commissioned by the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
This project is generously supported by Bob & Mimi Murley, Mike & Robin Zafirovski, and the donors of the Lake Forest Symphony.