SAGA Symphonic Poem

[William]

As part of my project of printing scores that were previously very messy handwritten, combined with some miscellaneous MIDI, I recently finished (I hope) this score which is from around 1980 and has never existed except in a moldering paper version. I did a MIDI performance a while back, but as part of the Finale printed version did a new VSL mix.

It uses VI flutes 1 and 2, French oboe, clarinet 1 and 2, bassoon 2, 8 horns, divisi 4 horns, tenor trombone, trombones a3, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion ensemble, harp 1, Appassionata strings, Orchestral strings, MIR Vienna Konzerthaus conductor's position -29 dry/wet, Miracle Close orch. stage enhance default .

This piece was inspired by the Saga of Grettir Asmundarsson who was basically an ancient Icelandic version of Conan without a happy ending.

Saga

[tchampe]

Great piece, Bill. I've always listened to this on Spotify, where you had to divide it up into two 6-minute chunks to fit their format, I suppose. I like it better presented as the unified work it was meant to be. I also dig following along with the score; great job! It sounds like this chart dates from your Bruckner days; hanging tenaciously with an adagio tempo throughout. Big and somber. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[William]

Thanks Tom. I guess it reveals my obsession with Bruckner. I had originally written a different extremely loud ending which was influenced by the saga's end of Grettir the Strong who is trapped by a large band of warriors and killed. Though he wasn't a serial killer, just misunderstood, short-tempered and very strong. But I decided to have a quiet sad ending instead, after all the blasting brass, timpani, gong crashes and horn rips.