Search - Dello Joio, Sedares, New Zealand Symphony :: Triumph of St Joan Symphony

Dello Joio's The Triumph of Saint Joan (a symphony in three movements) originally started out as an opera in 1950, but the composer withdrew it. He turned it into a compact, coherent three-movement symphony that is stunning in its composure and lucidity of argument. It is quite beautiful. His Variations, Chaconne and Finale (1949) is based on a Gregorian theme derived from the Kyrie of the Mass of Angels but characterized as symphonic dances (its original title was Three Symphonic Dances). The Barber that follows--the famous Adagio for Strings--though done well seems to be tacked on as a marketing gesture. --Paul Cook