Robert Simpson's Third Symphony, composed in 1962, was commissioned by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and dedicated to the experienced composer Havergal Brian, who had previously dedicated his Thirteenth Symphony to Simpson.[1][4][5] The work, characterized by the principle of "ascending tonality," juxtaposes C major and B-flat as contrasting tonal centers.[1][5] The composition consists of only two movements: a broad sonata-allegro followed by a striking, continuously accelerando, and is considered one of the most remarkable symphonic creations of the 20th century.[1][5]
In the first movement, a dissonant sonata-allegro in B-flat that moves into the realm of C, the influence of Beethoven is clearly evident.[1][5] The symphony begins mysteriously with octaves on the note C in the violins, before a powerful tutti in B-flat minor follows. A calmer second motivic group in F is then introduced, which, together with the development leading to the climax and the subsequent return to B-flat minor in a captivating crescendo, shapes the movement.[5]
The second movement, conceived as a massive accelerando from Adagio to Presto, maintains its basic structure despite the increasing tempo.[1][5] Simpson describes this section as "a huge composed accelerando, but with restrained dynamics."[1] The musical material unfolds from a motivic core and eventually builds to a tutti inspired by Beethoven's dominant seventh in C major; the music concludes quietly with a fifth in C and G.[1][5]
The Fifth Symphony, composed in 1972 and dedicated to the London Symphony Orchestra, revolves around a particular chord and combines energetic allegros with slow canons, with a scherzino forming its centerpiece. Each section builds towards an unchanging chord that appears several times, guiding the musical development through crescendos and diminuendos.
Canons deconstruct and reconstruct this chord, beginning with a deep, ascending line, followed by complex fugal passages that evoke associations with birdsong or dreamscapes by other composers. After a rhythmically pulsating scherzino, a second canon reconstructs the chord from its lowest note, before the symphony concludes with a sublime final crescendo featuring the unchanging chord.