Peter Drew: Symphony No. 1 "Reminiscence" | Boulder Symphony Orchestra

This is the world premiere of Peter Drew’s first symphony, performed by the Boulder Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Devin Patrick Hughes.

Bearing the sonic marks of Copland, Mussorgsky, Gershwin, and J.S. Bach, “Reminiscence” takes the listener on a journey through the musical landscape of the composer’s life. From a subtle rhythmic opening to stark cinematic climaxes, the symphony builds a vivid world of sound, filled with sweeping textures and emotional depth, shaped by a lifetime of experience.

Symphony No. 1, “Reminiscence”
I. Journey
The highly rhythmic and thematically insistent first movement pays tribute to Heitor Villa-Lobos’s “Little Train of the Caipira,” and to the mysterious folk songs of the French Auvergne. Ravel’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” also leaves its mark on this cinematic terrain.

II. Pictures in an Album
The second movement pays homage to Mussorgsky, with traces of Jazz, Blues, and Copland’s Americana.

III. Bach to Bach
The tempestuous third movement evokes Miklós Rózsa’s strident brass, alongside a breakneck-paced reimagining of a Bach fugue. It concludes with a mournful, trance-like meditation that passes ostinati through the orchestra, before transitioning seamlessly into the final movement (attacca).

IV. The Return
The final movement opens with a lyrical meditation on an original folk tune, offering a sense of the American promise which Drew’s life is a testament to. Rhythmic repetitions drive the symphony toward a climax, finally revisiting the folk theme to close the work in warm reflection.

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