Symphony No. 7 for full orchestra

Although composed of three movements, Symphony No. 7 for full orchestra is an outgrowth of one musical idea that pervades the entire composition.

The first movement ("Opening") begins with a solemn and majestic statement of the generic musical idea, which leads to a fast section full of short and repeated ornaments. A lyrical melody is sung by the solo trombone in the tonal area of G. The same melody is taken by the trumpet section in the tonal area of B, followed by the first climax of the piece. A slower and longer legato passage is performed by the string family, ornamented by short melodic figures in both the wind and brass sections. The initial fast tempo returns with the same materials. This time the solo is given to the French horn, then to the trumpet family again for another climax. After several wanderings to various tonal areas and through another explosion of ornaments, the piece returns to the original opening section of the movement in the tonality of C, which actually dominates the entire composition.

The second movement (as its title "Pastoral" implies) is a song about the village. A brief and slow introduction sets the mood for the melody to be sung by the principal clarinetist. This melody brings fond memories of the composer's childhood in his father's birthplace, Greece, where the musicians of the village used to play similar folk tunes based on modal scales. The strings take over again with another modal song surrounded by ornaments, typical of Greek folk music, given to various woodwind instruments. The initial clarinet solo appears again with a brief statement, which leads to a happy interlude. A folk-like melody is the middle section of the movement, which develops through a round to a frenzied dance. All of the instruments of the orchestra participate in this dance, the biggest climax of the symphony. It is as if Dionysus returns again to the village and the wine is plentiful. The solo clarinet appears again, as well as the generic musical idea, in a very quiet way and the movement ends.

The FInale (third movement) employs materials taken from the first movement in a bombastic way. This fortissimo section is followed by soft lyrical solos in the string section, bassoon, horn, and English horn. An extended fugue begins with the percussion section in pianissimo, incorporating materials from the dance section of the second movement. The dance itself takes over again in a rousing crescendo as the generic musical idea appears again, manifesting the cyclic form of the piece, and the symphony comes to a close.

Symphony No. 7 was completed in June 2017 and is dedicated to the memory of my beloved cat Rascal. It is commissioned to be premiered in Panama in 2018.