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Much of the material in the symphony is taken from a draft I made for a ballet based on J. R. R. Tolkien's great novel The Lord of the Rings. Despite the fact that the draft came to nothing and some of the motifs were transferred to the symphony I was working on, the symphony is not a description of the events in the novel but rather the documentation of a reading experience and the transference of a literary mood and poetry to the language of music.The Lord of the Rings is a mythology created by a single man unique in world literature. One of the most memorable characters in it is Gandalf, and it is from his name that the motif G-A-D-A-F appearing at the beginning and later in the symphony is taken.The material for the work has also been infused with influences from elsewhere, such as the one-man galoubet-tambourin music of Provence and two melodies from the medieval Finnish Piae cantiones.© Aulis Sallinen, 1997(Tampere Biennale 2000)(translated by © Susan Sinisalo)Teos on Göteborgs Symfonikerin tilaama ja se kantaesitettiin Ruotsissa marraskuussa 1996.Suuri osa sinfonian materiaalista on lähtöisin balettisuunnitelmasta, joka perustui J. R. R. Tolkienin suurromaaniin Sormusten herra. Suunnitelman kariuduttua ja eräiden aiheiden siirryttyä tekeillä olleeseen sinfoniaan on kuitenkin todettava, että sinfoniassa ei ole kysymys romaanin tapahtumien kuvailusta vaan pikemminkin lukukokemuksen dokumentoinnista ja kirjallisen ilmapiirin ja poesian siirtämisstä musiikin kielelle.Sormusten herra on maailmankirjallisuudessa ainutlaatuinen yhden miehen luoma mytologia. Yksi romaanin mieleenjäävimmistä hahmoista on velho Gandalf; hänen nimestään onkin lähtöisin sinfonian alussa ja myöhemminkin esiintyvä aihe G–A–D–A–F.Teoksen materiaaliin on tunkeutunut vaikutteita muualtakin, kuten provencelaisesta yhden soittajan huilu–rumpu-musiikista (galoubet–tambourin) sekä kaksi sävelmää keskiaikaisesta suomalaisesta laulukokoelmasta Piae cantiones.© Aulis Sallinen, 1997

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Abbreviation	Instrument
Woodwind
acl	alto clarinet
afl	alto flute
arec	alto recorder
asax	alto saxophone
barsax	baritone saxophone
barhn	baritone horn
bcl	bass clarinet
bfl	bass flute
bob	bass oboe
bsax	bass saxophone
bsn	bassoon
cbsn	contrabassoon
cl	clarinet
ehn	English horn
fl	flute
hn	French horn
ob	oboe
pic	piccolo
rec	recorder
sax	saxophone
srec	soprano recorder
ssax	soprano saxophone
trec	tenor recorder
tsax	tenor saxophone
Brass
ahn	alto horn
atrb	altotrombone
barhn	baritone horn
btrb	bass trombone
cornet	cornet
euph	euphonium
fhn	flugelhorn
hn	French horn
tba	tuuba
thn	tenor horn
trb	trombone
trp	trumpet
Percussion
dr	drums
glock	glockenspiel
mar	marimba
perc	percussion
timp	timpani
vibr	vibraphone
xyl	xylophone
Strings
db	double bass
gamba	viola da gamba
str	strings
vla	viola
vlc	cello
vln	violin
Other
acc	accordion
cel	celesta
cemb	harpsichord
chords	chords
elbas	electric bass
elg	electric guitar
elorg	electric organ
elpno	electric piano
guit	guitar
harm	harmonium
hca	harmonica
hp	harp
instr	instrument
kantele	kantele
keyb	keyboard
live electr	live electronics
mand	mandolin
mel	melody
org	organ
pno	piano
synth	synthesizer
tape	tape
Vocal
alto	alto
baryt	baritone
basso	bass voice
ch	choir
chc	childrens choir
chf	female choir
chm	male choir
chx	mixed choir
cten	countertenor
mezzo	mezzo-soprano
sopr	soprano
speaker	speaker
ten	tenor
voc	vocal

Symphony orchestra
2222 4331 11 1, str = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, one other percussionist, harp and strings
Wind band
2252 3 423 21212 3 = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons - 3 saxophones - 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones - 2 cornets, alto horn, 2 tenor horns, baritone horn, 2 tubas - 3 percussionists
Big band
221 4 4, pno, guit, db, dr = 2 alto saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, guitar, double bass, drums
Additional codes
+	fl+pic = flutist doubles on piccolo
/	pno/org = can be played on either piano or organ
lib	ad libitum
obl	obligato
str	str: 65432 = specified number of string players
str min	str min: 65432 = at least 65432
str max	str max: 65432 = not more than 65432
solo	vln solo = violin is the solo instrument in a work not obviously for solo violin

Symphony No. 7 Op. 71 "The Dreams of Gandalf"