Symphony nr 2

Orchestra of 70 musicians and chorus of 70 voices (6 flutes [4 doubling with piccolo, 1 with alto flute and 1 with bass flute], 2 oboes, 1 piccolo clarinet, 19 clarinets [individual parts], 1 alto clarinet, 1 bass clarinet, 1 contralto doubling with contrabass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 1 sop sax, 1 alto sax, 1 tenor sax, 1 baritone sax, 5 trumpets, 4 horns, 3 euphoniums, 4 tenor trombones, 6 tubas [individual parts], 7 percussionists [high claves + tenor drum + cymbals/ middle claves + field drum + cymbals/ low claves + gong drum + cymbals + timpani/ 3 snare drums + 1 triangle/ crotales + glockenspiel + xylophone/ vibraphone+ cymbals], 1 yang qin, 1 acoustic doubling on electric guitar, 1 pi pa, 1 piano + harpsichord, organ, 2 violins, 1 viola, 2 celli and 1 bass)

Programme notes

Symphony No. 2 stands in stark contrast to the composer's first and third symphonies, most notably in its unitary form, being cast entirely in a single movement. This monolithic structure was sculpted concurrently with the development of its musical content. The work features a diverse and highly specific instrumentation, chosen entirely based on the acoustical possibilities of each instrument. The ensemble, built upon a standard wind orchestra configuration, includes:

Vocal: Choir
Keyboard: Organ and piano
Strings: Bowed strings, plucked strings (harp, harpsichord), and traditional Chinese instruments (Pipa and Yangqin)
Woodwinds: The complete clarinet family (from piccolo to contralto and contrabass clarinets) and the complete flute family (from four piccolos to alto and bass flute).
Brass: Seven tubas are specifically added.

Casteels drew inspiration for Symphony No. 2 partly from a fascination with the intrinsic beauty of numbers and partly from the melodic material of a German Lied and a Flemish folk song. The composer deliberately rejects the common belief that numbers and aesthetic pleasure are antithetical, asserting that mathematics holds "endless possibilities for inspiration, metamorphoses and dreams." The composer’s admiration for scientists and mathematicians—who dedicate their lives to research that benefits future generations—is reflected in the symphonic structure, particularly the seminal significance of the number seven throughout the work. This rigorous mathematical framework creates a deliberate contrast with the dreamy reminiscences of an art song and the refreshing quality of a humorous ditty.

The sung text integrates this conceptual duality:

Mathematical Homage: The initial text directly references mathematicians such as Pythagoras, Diophantus, de Fermat, Euler, Lagrange, Riemann, Kummer, and Wiles.
Thematic Play: The choir subsequently alternates between the teasing phrase "fury furry" and the highly abstract statement of Fermat's Last Theorem, famously proven by Andrew Wiles.

Symphony No. 2, scored for an orchestra of 70 musicians and a chorus of 70 voices, was commissioned by the Singapore Arts Festival 2006. It was first performed at the Singapore Arts Festival that same year in the Esplanade Concert Hall by The Philharmonic Winds and conducted by the composer.

Handwritten sketches and drafts

see the blue cover, A4 size, 381 pages sketchbook

Recordings

link #1 video part one, link #2 video part two, link #3 video part three, link #4 audio part one, link #5 audio part two and link #6 audio part three