Work of the Week – Julian Anderson: Symphony No. 2

"If ever there was a musical book of photographs, [Praha Panoramatickà] is it", according to composer Julian Anderson. Inspired by these photographs, he wrote his Symphony No. 2, which will be premiered on 19 January 2022. The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Semyon Bychkov will present Symphony No. 2 for orchestra, subtitled "Prague Panoramas".

Julian Anderson’s Symphony No. 2: “Prague Panoramas”

The 25-minute orchestral work is based on a picture book by the Czech photographer Josef Sudek (1896-1976). His panoramic images of the city of Prague seem almost surreal due to the lack of focus - everything in the picture is sharp. The impressive photographs inspired Anderson to incorporate both the beauty of the city and Sudek's visual language into his music.

"In 2005 I saw an exhibition of Praha Panoramatická by Josef Sudek. The arresting beauty and painterly composition of his black-and-white panoramas of Prague took my breath away. Looking from one end of the book to the other has a sweep and trajectory to it, like listening to a symphony. The grandeur of the photographs themselves almost suggest orchestral sounds and textures." Julian Anderson

Symphony No. 2 is a jointly commissioned work by the BBC, the Munich Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra. Performances outside Munich will take place in the coming months. As the rhythm of cities has been an enduring inspiration for artists since the turn of the 20th century, we have dedicated the latest issue of our Schott Journal to “Cityscapes in Concert”. Find the link below:

• Julian Anderson: Composer profile
• Symphony No. 2: Work details and online score
• Symphony No. 2 with the Münchner Philharmoniker
• Schott Journal "Cityscapes in Concert"

 

photo: John Batten