Symphony No. 8 (Sessions)


The Symphony No. 8 of Roger Sessions was composed in 1968.
It is a work in two movements lasting together about fourteen minutes:
  1. Adagio e mesto
  2. Allegro con brio
Noteworthy in the context of Sessions' symphonies is the use of maracas to accompany the theme in the first movement. Andrea Olmstead describes all of Sessions's symphonies as "serious" and "funereal", with No. 8 being one of four with, "quiet reflective endings." No. 8 combines the, "fearsome rhythmic and harmonic densities," of his maturity, "with the extended melodic phrases," which were always characteristic of Sessions.
The symphony was premiered on May 2, 1968, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by William Steinberg.

Instrumentation

The symphony is scored for a large orchestra consisting of three flutes, three oboes, four clarinets, four bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, four trombones, tuba, timpani, two percussionists, piano, harp, and strings.

Recordings