Orchestral Music > Sinfonia in E
Kay's "Sinfonia in E," in four movements, was written in 1950 and received its premier performance on May 2, 1951, by the Eastman-Rochester Symphony Orchestra, Howard Hanson conducting.
A reviewer in the Rochester Times-Union stated: "Ulysses Kay's SINFONIA In E demonstrated what can be done by an expert in combining the familiar diatonic harmonies with the modernist's chromatic dissonances to achieve lucidly expressive music. The contrasting fugue-like passages and wistful lyricism of the second and third movements were most readily assimilated in first hearing."
George Szell conducted the work with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra on April 1 and 3, 1954. He is shown above with Kay at that time.