Quick Facts
- Written between 1947-48
- The symphony is in five movements
About the Piece
- Like Symphony No. 4, Lloyd wrote his fifth symphony during his recovery from injuries suffered during WWII.
- Learn more about the composer’s experience in WWII on his main page.
- Notes from the composer:
“The Fifth Symphony, written by the lake in Neuchatel, is in five movements. The first movement is a ‘Pastorale’ (Allegretto con tenerezza), and has writing for strings and wind only. The second is called ‘Corale’, inspired by the sometimes-grim Calvinism found in that part of Switzerland, and contains no violins or violas. The third movement is delicate indeed, the orchestral texture is the most refined and sensuous that I had so far accomplished.
“In the fourth movement the mood changes; ‘Lamento’ (Adagio drammatico) is a dark full-bodied piece in which for the first time the whole orchestra is used. The finale is brimming with confidence and hope and its exhilaration brings the symphony to a triumphant end.”1
- Lloyd also wrote of his time spent by the lake while writing the work:
“The five months we spent by the lake were probably the happiest of our lives and I believe something of that got into what I was writing.”2
Sources
- “Symphony No. 5,” The George Lloyd Society, accessed April 27, 2023, https://georgelloyd.com/lloyd-music-shop/symphony-no-5-in-b-flat.
- Notes in accompanying booklet, George Lloyd: Symphony No. 5 performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by George Lloyd, TROY 022, 1989, compact disc.
Cut IDs
25337