''Souvenir'' is a composition for chamber orchestra by the Finnish composer

Magnus Lindberg Magnus Gustaf Adolf Lindberg (born 27 June 1958) is a Finnish composer and pianist. He was the New York Philharmonic's composer-in-residence from 2009 to 2012 and has been the London Philharmonic Orchestra's composer-in-residence since the begin ...

. The work was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, for which Lindberg was then composer-in-residence. It was given its world premiere on November 19, 2010 at

Symphony Space Symphony Space, founded by Isaiah Sheffer and Allan Miller, is a multi-disciplinary performing arts organization at 2537 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Performances take place in the 760-seat Peter Jay Sharp Theatre (also called Pe ...

, New York City, by the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Alan Gilbert. The piece was written in memoriam for Lindberg's friend and fellow composer Gérard Grisey.

Composition

''Souvenir'' has a duration of roughly 25 minutes and is composed in three numbered movements.

Instrumentation

The work is scored for a chamber orchestra comprising

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

, oboe,

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

, two horns, trumpet, trombone, tuba, two percussionists,

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...

, piano, and a reduced string section of only five players ( violin I & II, viola, cello, and double bass).

Reception

Reviewing the world premiere, Anthony Tommasini of '' The New York Times'' said that Lindberg "certainly knows how to conjure up wondrous sounds" and wrote: David Fanning of ''

Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

'' said, "Despite his antipathy to the designation, he has acknowledged that the three movements are conceived as a type of chamber symphony, and they certainly have the leanness, range of texture and character, concentration and sense of evolution that are worthy of that name." He added, "Admittedly, following the train of thought isn't always straightforward, and once again I have concerns about a shortish concluding movement that feels almost perfunctory. However, in this case repeated listening certainly pays off." of the ''Chicago Classical Review'' similarly observed, "Cast in three movements spanning 25 minutes, ''Souvenir'' is a

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 com ...

in all but name. Unlike many of his scores, often written for Brobdingnagian forces, ''Souvenir'' is crafted on a smaller scale for just 18 musicians, yet the work pulses with intense rhythmic dynamism and varied colors and creates a huge sonic impact." Conversely, Andrew Clements of '' The Guardian'' described the piece as "rather overblown".

References

{{italic title Compositions by Magnus Lindberg 2010 compositions Compositions for chamber orchestra Music commissioned by the New York Philharmonic