I'll just start with a comparison: A composition for Piano solo contains of two staves, a stringquartet contains of four staves. My symphony contains of 37(!) staves.
The instrumentation of the orchestra for my Second Symphony (so far):
Piccolo flute, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in Bb, Bass clarinet, Soprano Sax, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax, 2 bassons, Contrabassoon, 2 Horns in F, 2 trumpets in Bb, 2 trombones, Tuba, Timpani, Percussion (Cymbals, Gongs, Snare drum, Tom-toms, Taiko drum, triangle), Tubular Bells, celesta, Piano, Harp, Strings.
As you can understand, keeping track of such a large score takes both patience and a good memory. So the process is tedious and has taken a lot of resources from me. That's why I have, on and off, been composing the first two movements for the past five months.
My first symphony took me almost three years to finish. I have nothing of that one left since I lost it all in the disastrous dh crash I have written about before. Only the name of it remains: The City.
I have since started to compose my Second symphony, Cinemagica, with its first movement named the same and the second movement called "Sussuration", already filled the score with a couple of instruments; I added a quartet of saxophones and some percussion. And I wouldn't be surprised if other instruments appear later on in the composition.
Cinemagica - Symphony No II
First movement
The symphony starts with a quite dramatic first movement. I had first planned to write a Flowmusic No III to my friends in Creativeworkhour, but I realised very soon that this was part of something grander, maybe a symphony. Or at least a suite from a symphony orchestra.
The first movement has a lot of drama presented in it, and listening to it again now, I see how I think it could be used as music to a film. The ending of the first movement leaves the listener with a kind of question mark: Where might this lead?
Sussuration - Movement two
(The name comes from @shadowspub and her daily echoes!)
The opening of the second movement is tremolos in strings and cymbals, which culminate in a snare drum and a cluster arepegio at the piano's deeper register and a heavy beat in the timpani..
It continues with strings in high registers that glissandos down and leads into a movable part in woodwinds, which leads over to strings, and when that theme is past, it leaves the Piccola flute exposed with chord in in harp and celesta.
Next, there is a reminiscence from the first movement, sort of, in brass and timpani.
Leading to a twisted 'jazzy' theme in the saxophone quartet that's processed on.
Leading to a bridge in strings and woodwind, until a reprise of the a variant of the first part of the movement ends the second movement with the solo piccola flute leaving you hanging, wanting to get more.
Third and Fourth Movements
I'm excited to see where it takes me. What I have planned is an adagio movement for the third movement. No name yet, but if you have a name suggestion I like to hear it. Keywords are: Gentle, peaceful, and tranquil.
For the fourth movement, I have some ideas, a more movable on that spins on. I would like to end the symphony in an energy-giving mood.
I hope you enjoy this small 'Look under the hood' of the composer and my process. It's great for me to share my thoughts and a little bit about my process as well.
One part of why I share this is what @alessandrawhite once said to me: Your work is important, Andy! And this is one of my ways to pay that forward to our community here.