A Symphony of Memory

"Symphony of Memory" was completed in 1989 as my doctoral thesis at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. It is lovingly dedicated to my parents, Thomas and Beatrice Maggio, and to my composition teachers at U. Penn., George Crumb, Jay Reise, and Richard Wernick, who provided guidance and encouragement. The "Symphony" was inspired by reflections on my childhood in North Branch, New Jersey. Each movement explores a different collection of memories, some crystal clear, others somewhat cloudy. The music is an evocation of a delicate and sacred place and time ?specific associations and stories have been left to the listener to conclude or overlook as they please. The three movements are related by their use of similar musical themes. The first juxtaposes several contrasting ideas, ranging from the opening fanfare to the soft lullaby to the carousel tune. The various temperaments of these themes are woven into a large-scale romantic tapestry resembling a traditional sonata form. The slow, singing second movement recalls motives from the first movement in a lamenting elegy, interrupted by a passionate statement of the lullaby tune. The final movement begins with a recollection of the carousel tune, then quickly spins into an extroverted perpetual motion. The middle section of the movement features a slower, rhapsodic melody in the strings, which later gives way to the returning fast music. The coda reaches back to the first movement, taking up the opening fanfare once more, and transforming it.