Michael Cooke

Most American orchestras predominantly feature European composers from the 18th and 19th centuries, with American compositions, especially contemporary ones, being a rarity. In response, I composed Symphony No. 2 “Mozart ist Tot!” in 2003, expressing my desire for reinvention rather than repetition in classical music performances. Similarly, Symphony No. 4 “Deconstructing Beethoven” is a continuation of this concept, aimed at reinvigorating the works of Beethoven for modern audiences. Currently, Amazon lists hundreds of recordings of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. Yet, upon listening, one might find strikingly minimal variation in the interpretation and execution across these numerous versions. This symphony imagines Beethoven time-traveling to the present, absorbing over 200+ years of musical advancements.

The first movement, inspired by Beethoven’s iconic 5th Symphony, follows its original form and orchestration but drifts towards a sound reminiscent of Carl Ruggles. It incorporates a decaphonic series for themes but eschews a serial approach. I expanded the famous four-note motif to five or ten notes and introduced complex rhythms to restore the original’s element of surprise, now diminished by its familiarity. This movement strikes a balance between echoing the original and standing as a new, distinct piece.

The third movement reimagines Beethoven’s 8th Symphony’s Minuetto. Using a computer program, I performed a sonic reduction of Bernstein’s live performance of this movement, distilling the music to its essential lines and rhythms. In places where the reduction left gaps, I inserted Beethoven’s original parts. This foundation was then orchestrated in a Webern-like fragmented style, with modernist percussion influenced by Varese, creating a mosaic of sonic textures blending the familiar with the new.

Currently, the symphony is a work in progress, with the second and fourth movements under development. The second will draw on Beethoven’s 7th Symphony’s Allegretto, approached aleatorically, while the fourth is planned to be a fusion of Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony’s finale and Hindemith’s style. The SFCCO premiered the first and third movements at its concert on May 4, 2019.