Symphony No. 2 (Davies)

Symphony No. 2
by Peter Maxwell Davies
The composer in 2012
Key	B minor
Occasion	Centenary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Recorded	1993 (1993)
Movements	4
Premiere
Date	26 February 1981 (1981-02-26)
Location	Free Trade Hall, Manchester
Conductor	Seiji Ozawa
Performers	Boston Symphony Orchestra

The Symphony No. 2 by Peter Maxwell Davies was commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in celebration of its centenary, and was composed in 1980. Seiji Ozawa conducted the world premiere with the BSO on 26 February 1981 at Symphony Hall, Boston.

Character and materials

The symphony is in B minor, though the key does not figure in the title and the tonality is not entirely conventional. It has been characterised as "focused atonality … a new tonality without neo-classicism" (Whittall 1983, 319). For example, instead of the usual dominant, F♯, throughout the symphony Davies uses E♯, a semitone lower and a tritone above the tonic—a technique used earlier by Bartók in the first movement of his Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (Karolyi 1994, 127). An additional unifying element used throughout the work is the plainsong "Nativitas tua, Dei Genetrix", a chant for the birthday of the Virgin Mary, which also happens to be the composer's birthday (Davies 1994, 3). The symphony has been characterised as Davies's La Mer (Dunnett 1994, 54), and compared, both in quality and in structure, to Vaughan Williams's Sixth Symphony (Whittall 1983, 318).

Instrumentation

The symphony is scored for two flutes, piccolo (doubling alto flute), two oboes, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, double bassoon, four horns, three trumpets, two trombones, timpani, glockenspiel, crotales, marimba, harp, and strings.

Analysis

The symphony is in four movements, corresponding loosely to the traditional symphony plan:

Allegro molto – Allegro
Adagio
Allegro molto, leggiero
Adagio, flessibile – Poco più mosso – Più mosso – Moderato – Allegro

The first movement begins with an introduction presenting all of the germ cells used in the entire symphony. This is followed by a sonata-allegro, in which the usual development is replaced by a succession of transformation processes.

The second movement is in the tritone-related key of F minor. A slow theme in the cellos, presenting "an almost Elgarian demeanour" (Dunnett 1994, 54) is followed by four variations—called "doubles" by the composer (Davies 1994, 4)—for bassoon, horn, oboe, and trumpet.

The third movement resembles a scherzo and trio, and is in F major.

The final movement returns to the tonal centre of B. It begins as a passacaglia, recalling the finale of Brahms's Fourth Symphony only of a more episodic nature (Karolyi 1994, 127). However, it gradually evolves, first into a character similar to the first movement, and then into the manner of a traditional symphonic finale.

Discography

Peter Maxwell Davies: Symphony No. 2. BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Peter Maxwell Davies (cond.). Recorded Studio 7, New Broadcasting House, Manchester, September. 1993. CD recording. Collins Classics 14032. [St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent]: Lambourne Productions, 1994. Reissued as part of Peter Maxwell Davies: Symphony No. 2 / St. Thomas Wake. CD recording and MP3 download. Naxos 8572349. [N.p.]: Naxos, 2012.

References

Davies, Peter Maxwell. 1994. "Symphony No. 2". Booklet accompanying Peter Maxwell Davies: Symphony No. 2. BBC Philharmonic, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (cond.). CD recording. Collins Classics 14032. [St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent]: Lambourne Productions Limited.
Dunnett, Roderic. 1994. Record Review: Maxwell Davies: The Lighthouse, Chamber Opera in 2 Parts by Ian Comboy; Christopher Keyte; Maxwell Davies; Neil Mackie; BBC Philharmonic Orchestra; Maxwell Davies: Symphony No. 2 by BBC Philharmonic Orchestra; Maxwell Davies; Maxwell Davies: Symphony No. 3 by BBC Philharmonic Orchestra; Maxwell Davies. Tempo, new series, no. 191 (December): 53–54.
Jones, Nicholas. 2002. "Peter Maxwell Davies's Basic Unifying Hypothesis: Dominant Logic". The Musical Times 143, no. 1878 (Spring): 37–45.
Karolyi, Otto. 1994. Modern British Music: The Second British Musical Renaissance—From Elgar to P. Maxwell Davies. Rutherford, Madison, Teaneck: Farleigh Dickinson University Press; London and Toronto: Associated University Presses. ISBN 0-8386-3532-6.
McGregor, Richard E.. 1996. "The Maxwell Davies Sketch Material in the British Library". Tempo, new series, no. 196 (April): 9–19.
McGregor, Richard. 2000. "Max the Symphonist". In Perspectives on Peter Maxwell Davies, edited by Richard McGregor, 115–37. Aldershot Hants., Burlington VT, Singapore, and Sydney: Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 1-84014-298-7.
Owens, Peter. 1994. "Revelation and Fallacy: Observations on Compositional Technique in the Music of Peter Maxwell Davies". Music Analysis 13, nos. 2–3 (October): 161–202.
Whittall, Arnold. 1983. "Symphony No. 2 by Peter Maxwell Davies". Music & Letters 64, nos. 3–4 (July–October.1983): 318–20.
Wintle, Christopher. 1981. "Tradition, Imagination and Self-Parody: Peter Maxwell Davies' Second Symphony, The Lighthouse", Times Literary Supplement (7 August).