Review: BBCSO/Stasevska Premieres Penniless Composer’s Weighty Love Symphony

It’s been over 30 years since Julius Eastman passed away, alone and in poverty, in New York. Yet, the full extent of Eastman’s contributions as a composer remains somewhat undefined. His works continue to be edited and published, with some pieces only now making their debut performances. A notable UK premiere recently came in the form of his sole surviving orchestral score, Symphony No 2. Rediscovered in 2018, it featured in the opening of the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Prom, led by principal guest conductor, Dalia Stasevska.

Eastman’s Symphony No 2, crafted in 1983 and dedicated to his former partner, is another complex piece that challenges a definitive understanding of his style. Subtitled “The Faithful Friend: The Lover Friend’s Love for the Beloved,” the symphony stretches to just 12 minutes in this performance. It’s arranged for a vast orchestra that includes multiple contrabass clarinets, contrabassoons, tubas, and timpani players, intended to capture the emotional trajectory of a relationship from its inception to its end. The composition oscillates between wandering string lines, discordant wind chords, and multifaceted textures reminiscent of Ives. Unlike many of Eastman’s dynamic works, this piece lacks the rhythmic drive he is known for, feeling more like an early sketch requiring further development.

Stasevska’s program continued without further complication. Mezzo Jamie Barton was the velvety-voiced soloist in Mahler’s Rückert Lieder. She found a balanced approach between restrained detachment and emotional richness. Following this, Stasevska took on Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony. While there were points that could be critiqued – the transition from the first movement to the scherzo seemed less refined, and the faster central section of the slow movement felt somewhat hurried – the overall purposeful drive of the performance was clear from the initial bar to the powerful concluding chords. The BBC Symphony Orchestra executed it with electrifying precision.

Available on BBC Sounds. The BBC Proms continue until 14 September.