Commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic, Stucky approached his Symphony with some trepidation. The very word symphony evokes centuries of meaning, an almost ultimate weight for a composer. Stucky had early on written four symphonies, all of which have since been withdrawn. Now, he determined to embrace his own history with the symphonic tradition to bring forth a new narrative.


Instrumentation:
Piccolo, 3 Flutes (3 also Alto Flute), 3 Oboes, English Horn, 3 Clarinets in Bb, Bass Clarinet, 3 Bassoons, Contrabassoon, 4 Horns in F, 4 Trumpets in C, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani, Percussion (3 players), 1. Vibraphone, Marimba, Suspended Cymbal, Snare Drum, 2. Glockenspiel, Chimes, Tam-tam, Bongo, 3. Xylophone, Bass Drum, 2 Wood Blocks, Crotales (1 octave), 4 Tom-toms, Harp, Piano (also Celesta), Strings