Stephen James Webb

C O M P O S E R   &   A R T I S T


AN ANNOTATED GUIDE TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Written for the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra 


Premiered on November 12th, 2023 at Jacoby Symphony Hall, Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts

 Scored for: 
2.2.2.2 - 2.2.3.1 - 2Perc - Str
score available by direct contact

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An Annotated Guide to Classical Music stands as a testament to the composer's role as both archivist and historian. Through a languid landscape, the piece unfolds, offering a passage through which a complex tapestry of baroque, post-minimalist, and other musics emerge. However, rather than simply showcasing these traditions for their shared affinities or historical connections, the composition takes on a more subversive tone—it seeks to reduce and redact them, diluting the very essence we ascribe value to. In this way, it becomes both a celebration and a critique of Western classical music, offering no easy solutions or resolutions. The work oscillates between sardonic commentary and sincere admiration, ultimately serving as a deeply personal reflection on the composer's profound love for music.