Symphonic LEGO Fantasia

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Symphonic LEGO Fantasia
by Frederik Magle
Commissioned byThe LEGO Group
Composed1995 (1995)–1996 (1996)
Duration27 minutes
MovementsThree
Scoring
Premiere
Date24 August 1997 (1997-08-24)
LocationSt George's Chapel, Windsor
ConductorDavid Parry
PerformersLondon Philharmonic Orchestra

Symphonic LEGO Fantasia for Grand Piano and Orchestra (Danish: Symfonisk LEGO fantasi for klaver og orkester; often shortened to LEGO Fantasia) is a symphony in three movements composed by Frederik Magle. The work was written for the LEGO Group during 1995–1996 and premiered in 1997. In 1998 it was recorded for an album release, featuring the symphony along with a number of solo piano improvisations by Magle.

History

Composition and premiere

Interior of St George's Chapel

Symphonic LEGO Fantasia was written by Danish contemporary classical composer Frederik Magle between 1995 and 1996. The work was commissioned by the LEGO Group;[1][2] Magle was eighteen years old at the time he composed it.[3] Magle premiered his LEGO Fantasia on 24 August 1997 in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle (located across the town of Windsor from LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, which had opened the previous year). The symphony was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by David Parry; Magle was the grand piano soloist for this initial performance.[3]

The LEGO Fantasia was performed by the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra [da] at two concerts on 24 January 1998 in Esbjerg, Denmark.[3][4] In 1999 it was performed by the Zurich Chamber Orchestra in Lucerne, Switzerland to celebrate the 25th anniversary of LEGO factories in Switzerland.[3][5] (All Swiss LEGO factories closed during the next decade, however.)[5]

Recording and release

Symphonic LEGO Fantasia
The album cover for Frederik Magle's Symphonic LEGO Fantasia
Studio album by
Frederik Magle
Recorded1 September 1998
StudioAIR Studios, London
Length50:07[citation needed]
ProducerMike Purton

An album version of the LEGO Fantasia was recorded on 1 September 1998, once again performed by Magle and the London Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Parry.[6] The album was recorded at AIR Studios in London by Tony Faulkner of Green Room Productions, and was produced and edited by Mike Purton.[7] Along with the three-movement Fantasia symphony, Magle recorded twenty-two piano improvisations played on a Imperial Bösendorfer grand piano;[8] eight of these were released on the album, including a cover of John Lennon's 1971 song "Imagine".[6]

The Symphonic LEGO Fantasia album was to be published by the LEGO Group; the cover features the "just imagine..." slogan the company was using at the time.[7] On his website in January 2000, Magle announced that it would be released on CD in March 2000.[9] The album's announced release date was later pushed back several times, initially to the fall of 2000, then to Christmas 2000, and then to early 2001.[10][11][12] When it actually released, if it did, is currently unknown.

In April 2003 Magle gave away a free copies of the Symphonic Lego Fantasia album to each of the first three users on his Internet forum to reach 25 posts.[13] On 27 January 2004 Magle released two piano improvisations from the September 1998 recording, "Lullaby" and "With Wings", for free on his forum; the latter was one of the fourteen recorded improvisations not included on the album.[8]

Form and instrumentation

A performance of the LEGO Fantasia symphony is around 27 minutes long.[2] The work is in three movements, each with its own title:[7]

  1. "Idea"
  2. "Values", Adagio and Waltz[14]
  3. "Exuberance"

The symphony is scored for the following instrumentation:[2]

Album track listing

All tracks are written by Frederik Magle, except where noted.[7]

No.TitleWriter(s)Performer(s)Length
1."Idea" (First movement) London Philharmonic Orchestra11:17
2."Values" (Second movement) London Philharmonic Orchestra9:41
3."Exuberance" (Third movement) London Philharmonic Orchestra5:35
4."Early Morning Promenade"  2:40
5."Fountains"  4:19
6."March of the Ants"  2:17
7."Imagine"John Lennon, Yoko Ono 4:38
8."Leaves in the Wind"  2:23
9."Lullaby"  2:05
10."In the Night"  1:21
11."The Hornpiper"  3:51
Total length:50:07

References

  1. ↑ Mellor, Andrew (2020). "Biografi – Frederik Magle, Komponist, Organist og Pianist" [Biography – Frederik Magle, Composer, Organist and Pianist]. magle.dk (in dansk). Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Magle, Frederik (2024) [2004]. "List of Works by the composer Frederik Magle". magle.dk. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Magle, Frederik (8 July 2016) [19 February 2000]. "Biografi og Tidslinje" [Biography and Timeline]. magle.dk (in dansk). Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  4. ↑ Magle, Frederik (2000). "Life – so far". magle.dk. Archived from the original on 16 September 2000.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "LEGO molding in Switzerland". LEGO History. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Symphonic LEGO Fantasia (London Philharmonic Orchestra)". magle.dk. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Magle, Frederik (1998). Symphonic LEGO Fantasia (Media notes). Billund, Denmark: The LEGO Group. Back cover. Archived from the original on 2024-12-09.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Magle, Frederik (27 January 2004). "With Wings & Lullaby Downloads". Magle International Music Forums (forum post). Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  9. ↑ Magle, Frederik (29 January 2000). "New CD Coming in March 2000!". Frederik Magle's homepage. Archived from the original on 3 March 2000.
  10. ↑ Magle, Frederik (2000). "New CD Coming in the Fall 2000!". Frederik Magle's homepage. Archived from the original on 16 June 2000.
  11. ↑ Magle, Frederik (2000). "New CD Coming for Christmas 2000!". Frederik Magle's homepage. Archived from the original on 2 October 2000.
  12. ↑ Magle, Frederik (2000). "New CD Coming in the Winter 2000/1001". Frederik Magle's homepage. Archived from the original on 9 March 2001.
  13. ↑ Magle, Frederik (5 April 2003). "Win a Frederik Magle CD with free shipping!". Magle International Music Forums (forum post). Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  14. ↑ "Film Scores / Soundtracks – Free Music for Film, Video, and Other Media". magle.dk. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.

External links

External audio
audio icon Excerpt from 1st movement "Idea"
audio icon Excerpt from 2nd movement "Values"
audio icon Excerpt from "Values", Adagio and Waltz
audio icon "Lullaby"
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