Final verdict: 9/10 ★★★★⋆˙⟡
Eight composers and eight orchestras from all over the world team up to “bring the joy of symphonic music to young audiences worldwide” under the Symphonina Foundation project. The project’s first installation, the double LP “Symphonina Stories: New Horizons,” features award-winning talent and has recently been nominated for three Hollywood Independent Music Awards in the Contemporary Classical Category.
And you might be curious as to what a symphonina is; a symphonina is, in effect, a compact melodic symphony – each piece is roughly 10 minutes in total duration, and broken up into three or four bite-sized movements. That way, no one has to listen to a 30-minute suite in the age of TikTok and short-form content. Quite genius, really, and I am not being cheeky, either – this is, indeed, a more accessible, less intimidating medium for symphonic music to be enjoyed in, especially by youngsters who may be more acquainted with the 3-minute song format. If you can’t beat them, join them.
“Symphonina Stories: New Horizons” features the work of eight composers – half of whom are established in their craft, and the other half of whom were elected through a competition – independently weaving different stories and themes into each piece; the album therefore offers a variety of moods and ideas before even being committed to arrangement.
Each symphonina is performed by a different orchestra, and produced by different producers. The music was recorded in each orchestra’s home country, before being sent back to California, where the project was at last assembled.
The music is highly cinematic across the board, introducing the sound of a symphonic orchestra into neo-classical endeavors. Christopher Siu’s “Hope” is a whimsical, almost cartoonish suite that sets the tone for the rest of the album, which stretches to include another seven equally whimsical and joyful symphoninas – my favorite of which is, by a long shot, Daniel Fisher’s “Runaway Dream Days.”
Maybe this’ll do the trick with regards to putting the youths back onto classical music. A symphonina is an easily-digestible yet highly rewarding tidbit of orchestral music – and who doesn’t like that?
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