Symphony no. 2 – La Commedia by Brett ...

By Brett Abigaña

This piece is based on Dante’s epic poem La Commedia, with each of the three movements corresponding to one canticle; as such, a basic knowledge of Dante’s work will no doubt prove most useful in approaching this piece. Rather than invent my own vision of hell, purgatory, and paradise, this piece attempts to musically represent Dante’s vision in three separate ways. The first movement directly represents, or in some cases commits, the sins associated with each of the nine levels of hell. The second movement is meant to be the hymn sung by the faithful as they travel up the mountain towards redemption. The third movement is a musical depiction of the journey through paradise, culminating in meeting the divine. The composers’ names in the score and parts towards the end of the movement correspond to the latter part of Dante’s journey, when he sees the saints on either side of him: I thought it appropriate to imagine which compositional saints I might see, if I were in Dante’s shoes.

Duration: 20 minutes
Grade Level: 6