Robert Simpson's Sixth Symphony was inspired by a suggestion from its dedicatee, gynaecologist Ian Craft, to compare it to the growth of a living creature from a fertilised germ.
Recording & Production
This album features live premiere recordings of Robert Simpson's Symphonies No. 5 and No. 6 from the Royal Festival Hall, London.
Compositional Technique
The Fifth Symphony is a one-movement work divided into sections, featuring weighty fast movements at the beginning and end, a short scherzino in the center, and canonic slow movements on either side.
Critical Reception
The premiere of Robert Simpson's Fifth Symphony in 1973 received unanimously enthusiastic reception from both audience and press.
Composer Biography
Robert Simpson, the composer, suffered a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage while writing his Fifth Symphony, which he described as 'a nose-bleed in the brain'.
Composition History
Robert Simpson's Fifth Symphony was commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra in 1972.
Interpretation
Robert Simpson, the composer, expressed dissatisfaction with the premiere performance of his Sixth Symphony, stating that orchestral works rarely get enough proper rehearsal.
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