Liner Notes
  Cat. No. NWCRL224
    Release Date: 2010-07-01
Polish National Radio Orchestra, Wlodzimiertz Ormicki, conductor; Hamburg Symphony Orchestra; Frederic Balazs, conductor
Leland Procter's Symphony No. 1 was written between 1946 and 1948, while Procter was teaching at the New England Conservatory of Music. It was first performed by the Eastman-Rochester Symphony Orchestra in 1948. Subsequent performances include a nation-wide broadcast by the Oklahoma City Symphony under Victor Alessandro. Listeners have noted its qualities of directness, exuberance and spaciousness.
The work is in four compact movements marked: Moderately fast, Slowly, Moderately fast, and Fast. The composer writes the following words about the music:
"Although at the time the symphony was written, I was aware only of trying to write music of strength, vitality, sincerity, and exuberance which was symphonic in scope, I realize now that I can recognize my own attitudes clearly. Foremost of these is the firm conviction that the 'peak- experience' communications in art feel as though they flow directly from the subjective unconscious, and while these must be acted upon and shaped into form by the conscious intellect, the intellect must not conspicuously force its ego-centered imprint on the natural, spontaneous flow of basic creativity. In other words, art is most perfect when it ceases to be art -- - when there is an impression of artlessness. I do not underestimate the importance of artfulness or craft, but the greatest impact is achieved when the craft of musical composition is relatively inconspicuous, except to the analyst.
"This is necessarily an over-simplification, but it expresses the trend of my thinking."
George Tremblay's Symphony In One Movement was composed in Chatsworth, California during the last years of the Second World War, the final score being completed in the spring of 1949. Mr. Tremblay writes:
"Like all of my major works to date, it is composed in a serial technique, unique and especially created for its particular realization. For this piece I evolved a definite harmonic system from subsidiary aspects of the basic tone row. The melodic lines are often diatonic in intention and in function. The row is sometimes treated as a block sound rather than in a numerical series. Certain tones of the basic series may be repeated indefinitely within the block without regard for the specific designated number of the note in the series."
Leland Procter's Symphony No. 1 was written between 1946 and 1948, while Procter was teaching at the New England Conservatory of Music. It was first performed by the Eastman-Rochester Symphony Orchestra in 1948. Subsequent performances include a nation-wide broadcast by the Oklahoma City Symphony under Victor Alessandro. Listeners have noted its qualities of directness, exuberance and spaciousness.
The work is in four compact movements marked: Moderately fast, Slowly, Moderately fast, and Fast. The composer writes the following words about the music:
"Although at the time the symphony was written, I was aware only of trying to write music of strength, vitality, sincerity, and exuberance which was symphonic in scope, I realize now that I can recognize my own attitudes clearly. Foremost of these is the firm conviction that the 'peak- experience' communications in art feel as though they flow directly from the subjective unconscious, and while these must be acted upon and shaped into form by the conscious intellect, the intellect must not conspicuously force its ego-centered imprint on the natural, spontaneous flow of basic creativity. In other words, art is most perfect when it ceases to be art -- - when there is an impression of artlessness. I do not underestimate the importance of artfulness or craft, but the greatest impact is achieved when the craft of musical composition is relatively inconspicuous, except to the analyst.
"This is necessarily an over-simplification, but it expresses the trend of my thinking."
George Tremblay's Symphony In One Movement was composed in Chatsworth, California during the last years of the Second World War, the final score being completed in the spring of 1949. Mr. Tremblay writes:
"Like all of my major works to date, it is composed in a serial technique, unique and especially created for its particular realization. For this piece I evolved a definite harmonic system from subsidiary aspects of the basic tone row. The melodic lines are often diatonic in intention and in function. The row is sometimes treated as a block sound rather than in a numerical series. Certain tones of the basic series may be repeated indefinitely within the block without regard for the specific designated number of the note in the series."
This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available as a burn-on-demand CD (CD-R) or download in MP3/320, FLAC or WAV formats. CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print booklet or jewel case included. Full liner notes are accessible via the link above.
We have preserved the original CRI LP catalog number for this title, preceded by the prefix NWCRL, to distinguish previously unavailable back catalog titles from those later reissued by CRI on compact disc.
Polish National Radio Orchestra
Leland Procter & George Tremblay: Symphonies
MP3/320 | $7.99 | |
FLAC | $7.99 | |
WAV | $7.99 | |
CD-R | $7.99 |
A *.pdf of the notes may be accessed here free of charge.
Track Listing
Symphony No. 1: I. Moderately fast
Leland Procter
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Symphony No. 1: II. Slowly
Leland Procter
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Symphony No. 1: III. Moderately fast
Leland Procter
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Symphony No. 1: IV. Fast
Leland Procter
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Symphony in One Movement
George Tremblay
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