Sessions: Symphony no 1

Day 123

Sessions: Symphony no 1

New York Philharmonic Orchestra

Neeme Jarvi

Roger Sessions is another of those American composers whose name I recognised but whose music I have never heard. He has the reputation as a severe serialist but this early work (from 1927) is more neo-classical in style. I enjoyed it immensely. The outer movements are wind dominated and the idiom and sound seemed close to that of Stravinsky's Symphonies of Wind Instruments, written only a few years earlier. I don't know whether Sessions would have had any opportunities to hear the Stravinsky: the score was not published until much later. There are also hints of Copland, not least in the rhythmic complexities. The slow movement is surprisingly lyrical and I thought that it was highly effective - the harmony was largely tonal but with some 'rough edges'. Altogether the piece made a very positive impression and I am keen to hear more of Sessions' work, though I expect that some of the later pieces will be much tougher nuts to crack.