Symphony No. 6 (Schuman) Explained

The Symphony No. 6 by the American composer William Schuman was commissioned by the Dallas Symphony League and was given its world premiere by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under the conductor Antal Doráti on February 27, 1949.^{[1] [2]}

Composition

The symphony has a duration of roughly 27 minutes and is composed in one continuous movement.

Instrumentation

The work is scored for a large orchestra comprising three flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, two percussionists, and strings.

Reception

Though the world premiere was poorly received by its Dallas audience, the piece has since been praised by music critics. Andrew Clements of The Guardian praised the symphony, remarking:The work was similarly praised by Lawrence A. Johnson of the Chicago Classical Review who wrote:

Notes and References

1. Web site: Schuman . William . William Schuman . 1948 . Symphony No. 6 . . April 23, 2016.
2. Schuman, W.: Symphony No. 6 / Prayer in a Time of War / New England Triptych (Seattle Symphony, Schwarz) . November 2009 . April 23, 2016 . Joseph W. . Polisi . CD liner . Naxos Records.