Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by George Lloyd.
I - Allegro con delicatezza: 0:00
II - Largo: 10:51
III - Allegro con brio: 20:35
Lloyd's Symphony No.9 was composed in December 1969, being premiered in Manchester on December 1982, performed by the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Edward Downes. Whilst not on the same level as the great middle period symphonies, the Ninth is wholly Lloydian and demonstrates the breadth of expression his music encompasses. The disparate moods inhabited by the three movements lie side by side with scant regard to homogeneity, yet somehow the whole symphony does hang together by dint of the unmistakable hallmarks of its composer s sound-world throughout the piece; this is perhaps Lloyd s greatest achievement in this inimitable work.
The score was written at a time of neglect for Lloyd's music. His early success in the thirties was cut short by his service in World War II and a horrible accident that left the composer recovering for decades. In the fifties Lloyd attempted to restart his compositional career, but by then his postromantic style was no longer appreciated, as modernism and serialism had taken over as predominant styles. Unwilling to change his language, eventually he gave up and became a market gardener, only writing music on his spare time, confined to a shelf with no hope of performance. It wasn't until a 1977 BBC broadcast performance of his Symphony No.8 that Lloyd's music was rediscovered by the public at large.
The composer stated the following about the work: "When a composer has written eight symphony [sic] he may find that the horizon has been blacked out by the overwhelming image of Beethoven and his one and only Ninth. There are other very good No. 5s and No. 3s, for instance, but how can one possibly have the temerity of trying to write another Ninth Symphony? I solved my problem by treating it lightheartedly. [...] If I had been a serious composer in the late nineteenth century, this symphony would have been at least an hour and a half long, and it would have concerned itself with life, death and resurrection. As I was born somewhat later than that, I will simply tell you that there are three movements, the first one is about a young girl, she dances and is a little sentimental; the second is about an old woman who reminisces - grief-stricken; and the third is the merry-go-round that just keeps on going round and round and round."
The first movement is structured in sonata form. After a chaotic opening, the allegro begins with a rhythmic and playful main theme of elfin breeziness, full of accents and changes of metre. It is contrasted by a lyrical and passionate second theme, richly scored in a postromantic fashion. The material seems to not appear fully-armed, but grow into themselves, a subtlety ignored by those who regard Lloyd s symphonies as merely a string of "tunes". The return of the main theme signals the beginning of the development, reaching a climax with a transformation of the second theme. This leads to the varied recapitulation of the thematic material with a couple of brief outbursts. The allegro ends with a serene and contemplative coda, the strings divided into eleven parts, including a solo violin and cello.
The second movement is rather free in form, containing some of Lloyd's most dissonant music. It opens with mysterious chords from woodwinds and brass, which will be a recurring element in the whole largo. English horn introduces a lyrical an expressive main theme, soon joined by the flute and passing onto strings. It unfolds in a tortuous and sorrowful manner, leading to a harsh climax. Cellos then take the main theme, followed by the oboe before the opening is recalled. The second theme of the previous allegro is quoted in a poignant flute solo over pulsating harp accompaniment. This brief, fragmentary remembrance is brutally cast aside in a sudden and short-lived climax. The harsh climax of before returns in full force, ending the largo with a slow and rather bleak diminuendo coda.
The third movement is also written in sonata form. It opens with percussion ostinati, before brass presents a brilliant and vigorous main theme. It is clearly derived from the main theme of the finale of Beethoven's fifth symphony. This is followed by a graceful and dance-like second theme on woodwinds and strings. The development of the material begins with a contrapuntal passage, reaching a boisterous climax. The scoring is highly imaginative, colourful and effective. An animated climax leads to the recapitulation of the themes, before a crescendo leads to a brilliant and vitalistic coda.
Picture: "Women of Algiers" (1955) by Spanish painter Pablo Picasso.
Musical analysis partially written by myself. Sources: tinyurl.com/2bacwo99 and tinyurl.com/22ky7ct4
Unfortunately, the score isn't available.
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by George Lloyd.
I - Allegro con delicatezza: 0:00
II - Largo: 10:51
III - Allegro con brio: 20:35
Lloyd's Symphony No.9 was composed in December 1969, being premiered in Manchester on December 1982, performed by the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Edward Downes. Whilst not on the same level as the great middle period symphonies, the Ninth is wholly Lloydian and demonstrates the breadth of expression his music encompasses. The disparate moods inhabited by the three movements lie side by side with scant regard to homogeneity, yet somehow the whole symphony does hang together by dint of the unmistakable hallmarks of its composer s sound-world throughout the piece; this is perhaps Lloyd s greatest achievement in this inimitable work.
The score was written at a time of neglect for Lloyd's music. His early success in the thirties was cut short by his service in World War II and a horrible accident that left the composer recovering for decades. In the fifties Lloyd attempted to restart his compositional career, but by then his postromantic style was no longer appreciated, as modernism and serialism had taken over as predominant styles. Unwilling to change his language, eventually he gave up and became a market gardener, only writing music on his spare time, confined to a shelf with no hope of performance. It wasn't until a 1977 BBC broadcast performance of his Symphony No.8 that Lloyd's music was rediscovered by the public at large.
The composer stated the following about the work: "When a composer has written eight symphony [sic] he may find that the horizon has been blacked out by the overwhelming image of Beethoven and his one and only Ninth. There are other very good No. 5s and No. 3s, for instance, but how can one possibly have the temerity of trying to write another Ninth Symphony? I solved my problem by treating it lightheartedly. [...] If I had been a serious composer in the late nineteenth century, this symphony would have been at least an hour and a half long, and it would have concerned itself with life, death and resurrection. As I was born somewhat later than that, I will simply tell you that there are three movements, the first one is about a young girl, she dances and is a little sentimental; the second is about an old woman who reminisces - grief-stricken; and the third is the merry-go-round that just keeps on going round and round and round."
The first movement is structured in sonata form. After a chaotic opening, the allegro begins with a rhythmic and playful main theme of elfin breeziness, full of accents and changes of metre. It is contrasted by a lyrical and passionate second theme, richly scored in a postromantic fashion. The material seems to not appear fully-armed, but grow into themselves, a subtlety ignored by those who regard Lloyd s symphonies as merely a string of "tunes". The return of the main theme signals the beginning of the development, reaching a climax with a transformation of the second theme. This leads to the varied recapitulation of the thematic material with a couple of brief outbursts. The allegro ends with a serene and contemplative coda, the strings divided into eleven parts, including a solo violin and cello.
The second movement is rather free in form, containing some of Lloyd's most dissonant music. It opens with mysterious chords from woodwinds and brass, which will be a recurring element in the whole largo. English horn introduces a lyrical an expressive main theme, soon joined by the flute and passing onto strings. It unfolds in a tortuous and sorrowful manner, leading to a harsh climax. Cellos then take the main theme, followed by the oboe before the opening is recalled. The second theme of the previous allegro is quoted in a poignant flute solo over pulsating harp accompaniment. This brief, fragmentary remembrance is brutally cast aside in a sudden and short-lived climax. The harsh climax of before returns in full force, ending the largo with a slow and rather bleak diminuendo coda.
The third movement is also written in sonata form. It opens with percussion ostinati, before brass presents a brilliant and vigorous main theme. It is clearly derived from the main theme of the finale of Beethoven's fifth symphony. This is followed by a graceful and dance-like second theme on woodwinds and strings. The development of the material begins with a contrapuntal passage, reaching a boisterous climax. The scoring is highly imaginative, colourful and effective. An animated climax leads to the recapitulation of the themes, before a crescendo leads to a brilliant and vitalistic coda.
Picture: "Women of Algiers" (1955) by Spanish painter Pablo Picasso.
Musical analysis partially written by myself. Sources: tinyurl.com/2bacwo99 and tinyurl.com/22ky7ct4
Unfortunately, the score isn't available.
