Symphony No. 2 in A major, subtitled ''Im Frühling'' or ''In Spring'', is the second
symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning co ...
by American composer
John Knowles Paine
John Knowles Paine (January 9, 1839 – April 25, 1906) was the first American-born composer to achieve fame for large-scale orchestral music. The senior member of a group of composers collectively known as the Boston Six, Paine was one of tho ...
.
History
The symphony was composed in 1879 and published in Boston in 1880,
[Kenneth C. Roberts and John C. Schmidt. "John Knowles Paine". ''Grove Music'' online.][Steven Ledbetter]
Liner Notes
to New World Records CD 80350 "John Knowles Paine, Symphony Nº. 2 in A-Major Im Frühling at a time when few American composers were able to find publishers for symphonic works. It was also premiered in Boston in 1880, and was extremely well received, prompting
handkerchief
A handkerchief (; also called a hankie or, historically, a handkercher or a ) is a form of a kerchief or bandanna, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric which can be carried in the pocket or handbag for personal hygiene purposes such as ...
-waving and shouting at the first performance.
[Chase, Gilbert. ''America's Music''. 3rd rev. edn., 1992, p. 342.] Historian Louis Elson compared its final movement to
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
's
Symphony in B flat, which is also subtitled "Spring".
[
]
Instrumentation
:2 Flutes
:2 Oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
s
:2 A Clarinets
:2 Bassoons
:4 Horns
:2 Trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standar ...
s
:2 Trombone
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrat ...
s
:1 Bass Trombone
:Timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditiona ...
: Strings
Structure
The symphony is in four movements:
# Adagio sostenuto
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
- "Departure of Winter" Allegro ma non troppo "Awakening of Nature"
# Scherzo
A scherzo (, , ; plural scherzos or scherzi), in western classical music, is a short composition – sometimes a movement from a larger work such as a symphony or a sonata. The precise definition has varied over the years, but scherzo often ...
Allegro "May-Night Fantasy"
# Adagio
Adagio (Italian for 'slowly', ) may refer to:
Music
* Adagio, a tempo marking, indicating that music is to be played slowly, or a composition intended to be played in this manner
* Adagio (band), a French progressive metal band
Albums
* ''Ada ...
"A Romance of Springtime"
# Allegro giojoso "The Glory of Nature"[
]
Use in film and television
The second and third movements were heard and shown performed at a concert in the fourth episode of the first season of the HBO television series ''The Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Weste ...
'', depcting a performance in New York City in 1882.
References
External links
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Paine 02
1879 compositions
Compositions in A major
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