A Utopian Fantasia [Alf:00-49897]

A Utopian Fantasia, by Anthony Granata, depicts a beautifully majestic and serene landscape shrouded in mystery and wonder. Set in the key of E minor, the opening features a rich legato ballad with an eerily somber melody passing through each section of the orchestra. The mood abruptly shifts to a jarring and heavily accented six-note motif. Reminiscent of Classical literature, a small contrapuntal passage develops this motif, interspersed with the original opening melody. Inversions of the theme finally give way to a call-and-response dialogue within the different sections of the orchestra before finally ending quietly and slowly with a subtle hint to the opening. (3:00)