Symphony No. 1 (In Memoriam Dresden, 1945)

Composed by Daniel Buckvich
"Symphony No. 1" was written to depict the fire bombing of Dresden, Germany by Allied forces on February 13-14, 1945. In three waves of attacks, 3,300 tons of incendiary bombs were dropped on the city, creating a firestorm. The more the city burned, the more oxygen was drawn in, and the greater the fires became. It is thought that temperatures reached 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. As people began to flee, their feet burned as the surface of the road melted. Some attempted to save themselves by jumping into reservoirs in the city centre that were intended to assist fire fighters. As these were ten feet deep, smooth sided, and had no ladders, many drowned. Estimates of the number of casualties of this attack vary from as few as 25,000 to as many as 150,000. Due to the large number of refugees that had sought a safe haven in Dresden, we will never know for sure.
Movement I, "Prologue", establishes the mood of impending disaster and presents the thematic material.
Movement II, "Seeds in the Wind", refers to the method of "seeding" a bomb target with jellied gasoline and incendiaries.
Movement III, "Ave Maria", reflects upon the religious and artistic heritage of Dresden and becomes a prayer for the victims.
Movement IV, "Firestorm", employs non-traditional techniques to portray the fire storm, ending with the last sobs of the dying, with a flute solo on low C.

[@krishaas6944]

I played this in my last high school concert--the first time we heard it, none of us were sure how to react. It was an experience to perform, and I remember the whole audience just sitting in silence for a long time after we finished. It's overwhelming to hear in person and/or play.

[@agnieszkacharzynska4188]

Greetings from Poland ;-)

[@sjhaas]

No way. I’m playing it in my high school concert as well

[@wifenmum]

Same here ... 35 years ago. Still amazing.

[@billf3668]

Same here 30 yrs ago

[@t0cableguy]

I remember playing this in high school, I believe it was my 2001 spring concert. Our band director fully explained what the piece was about beforehand. The greatest part was the power went out in the building for a split second during the "bombing" and there was a thunderstorm during the performance. Totally added to the entire effect of the piece. I'll never forget playing this and the lights going out for that moment.

[@Codewriter53]

Very good interpretation of the composer's ideas. The composer actually had the intent that the low "c" was a single survivor asking, three times, "Why?". However, it is a good interpretation that it is the last sobs of the dying.

[@nelzinga16]

This song is terrifying in the best way possible.

[@nocturne000]

Daniel Buckvich, the head of the music department at the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho at the time I attended, taught music theory 1&2, as well and Aurel skills 1&2. He walked brusquely into the room on the first day and drew a small dot on the chalk board. He turned to us and said "this blackboard is music, this dot is what I know, you know nothing." He was intimidating to say the least and the work load was rough. At the end of Aurel skills 2 you had to play the piano with these specific chord progressions for each mode in the major scale, each in different time signatures, and had to be completely memorized while you improvise in said mode singing the correct Solfege as the final. This made up a very large portion of your grade. All this had to be done one on one with Mr. Buckvich. Needless to say I was nervous. When I arrived at his office, trying my best not to slip into a panic attack, he opened the door in a stained T-shirt and sweatpants, a far cry from his normal attire. He asked me how it was going in a quiet calm voice and we had a nice little conversation about this Chinese restaurant in town. He was super chilled out, and even after a small slip up on my end, gave me a perfect score. All the intensity had been for the purpose of weeding those out who weren't serious about this major, and giving us a glimpse of what it wold take to succeed. He was an incredibly nice and humble man I learned throughout the following years. Not to mention an amazing composer and master percussionist. I just thought I'd share that little story about the man behind this terrifying, brilliant piece. His ancestors went through the fire bombing of Dresden.

[@steveoare]

Are you sure he was the head of the department? Last year Dan told me he was doing as much now as he did in the mid-late 80's when I went there and that the only way he could do it was NOT to be involved in any of the administrative stuff. The guy's courseload is unbelievable! A full percussion studio, jazz choirs, theory & aural skills, plus composing and arranging. I get tired just thinking about it!

[@steveoare]

I talked to Dan about this piece and there are a couple of things that make this piece even more interesting: 1. It was written as his final project for his masters degree in composition. He must've been just 24 or 25 at the time. 2. He originally didn't include the Dresden subtitle - his grad committee told him to do it. His thesis for the work was that music can create a specific feeling (in this case, one of violent loss) and it didn't need a programmatic title to help. He said it's only been performed in concert one time without the help of a title and a guy came up to him after the performance and told him it reminded him of a bombing raid from WWII - like the ones that happened in Dresden. I guess his thesis was correct! :-)

[@coreycountryman3552]

Steve Oare - Hi Steve. He really was pretty young when he wrote it. I remember playing it almost 40 years ago at CDA High School; I think we might have been the 3rd band to play it (after UI and Moscow High). I took engineering at UI shortly after that, but they let me play percussion with them when I could fit it in.

[@coreycountryman3552]

And yes, 40 years later it still evoke all kinds of emotion in me too.

[@BunchaNinjaStars]

First time I listened through this, I didn't know whether to start crying or be terrified. I just sat in the chair and stared at the screen. Very moving piece!

[@EmmyLundquist]

Last year my school's wind ensemble played this piece. A friend and I went to the concert because our teacher kept telling us how much he hated this song in particular. Got through the first movement or so, and then, the screaming started. We were frozen in our seats. You could have heard a pin drop in that auditorium for about 5 minutes after the piece had even finished. Absolute chills.

[@15gatorsfan15]

My high school band director has programmed this piece for us. It's heart wrenching in the 4th movement (Fire Storm.) He complimented us, well, I took it as a compliment anyway, when he said a lot of band directors were "scared to program this piece because it was 'too hard', and a lot of people, at your age (highschool approx. 13-18 yrs old) don't have the maturity level to play this. I know a lot of college conductors that won't even program this piece." Made me have more pride for what I do.

[@happyhobbit1261]

In high school, I remember leaving the band room every time we rehearsed this piece. It filled me with such a sense of despair and dread. Now, almost 15 years later, I still had to turn down the volume at the end. What a brilliant yet terrifying use of music to describe something where words would never suffice.

[@ozzyjames87]

Dresden was reduced to a city sized funeral pyre by allied bombs, as was hamburg, and tokyo, for this reason, (and the blitz) the use of incendiary weapons on populated areas was outlawed and by extension declared a war crime.

[@LukeLovesRose]

As these crimes shouldve been treated.... But Churchill and Bomber Harris never saw a day in court

[@stuckon11]

I played this in college my junior year. When we were first introduced to this piece, our director had a fairly long explanation of its meaning. We always rehearsed in a very respectful manner with the knowledge of what these sound represented. At the time of our concert, our director had 2 students go up to our microphone and read a bio on the composer to the audience. It explained the 4 sections of the piece and what they represented. It's a pretty tough piece to get through. During the shouting at the end, one of the female voices screamed a very high pitch scream. Not completely planned, but was VERY dramatic. When the piece ended, the audience was completely silent accept for the sounds of crying. I think they were in shock. The director turned around, indicating that we were done, and we got a standing ovation of several minutes. At one time, I had a cassette (dating myself) recording of our performance, nearly 34 years ago. It has long ago disappeared. I could not remember the name of the piece so I have not been able to find it until now. Of all of the music I have played over the years, this one still holds a special place. Thank you.

[@jarhead9887]

That solo flute at the end just moves me to tears. The thought of innocent men, women, and children running for their lives. And after the devestation someone still clinging to life(solo flute at end of 4th mvt) moaning for help. Makes me sob!

[@magicguycouldbe]

I listened to this song last night in a band concert, & I was legitimately scared. until a baby yelped at the climax

[@inkpencil5409]

When we played this, for each movement the lights got dimmer until we reached the fire storm and they were completely turned off , the only time ive never heard a single sound from the audience... I get chills to this day

[@OxymoronComedy]

We were just given this piece today in class in prep for our spring concert... It messes you up emotionally first hearing it in class, not sure how we're gonna be able to play a piece like this

[@beebleboose]

Our band is playing this for our spring concert this year. I live in a town that was struck by a category 5 hurricane a few years back and since so many of the sounds in movement 4 sound like the storm we have to put a ptsd warning in the program. doesn’t help that right after we play this we play another emotional piece directly after this one that can be used to represent the remaining survivors mourning

[@devinianschramm5507]

Playing this in band. Great multi-movement piece.

[@benshoemaker1318]

The Devin Schramm Show no one in my band enjoys... and a girl broke out in tears and had to leave for a few

[@revygam]

We are playing this song for festival this year. Every time we practice this song in rehearsal, after we play the last movement, there is a long moment of silence. We stare at the ground, thinking. Speechless. It's so powerful. I can't wait for the concert.

[@robertstirling2798]

I played this my Junior year of high school. I was the Timpani player. This is the most powerful piece I have ever heard or played in my entire life. The absolute silence from the crowd was absolutely deafening when it was all over because you could hear people sobbing from both the stage and the auditorium.

[@silverknightly324]

Played this last year for our band's theme 'war'. Beautiful piece that even got some of the bad members to shed a tear. Very well done, and a great way to end the year :)

[@thetoxicsoul]

The concert band at my high school played this a few years back (2005, I think). They put the lights out for the firestorm part - scary as hell with all the screaming! The performance blew my mind!

[@ammonanderson6401]

My band teacher had us play this my sophomore year. We had no idea what it was about. At end, we knew. This song still gives me chills. Its been 12 years now and it still haunts me.

[@stephenyork7318]

I recall playing this in school. People had no idea when we first started what they were experiencing and there was usually a dead silence at the end whilst people gathered themselves. Is nice years on to hear this without being involved. For some reason I've just never thought to search for it online. Something's lost in the low quality audio on here though. I hope I have the opportunity to see it performed some day.

[@scottkuehn5752]

I played this in a summer camp (or maybe Allstate) H.S. band at Ohio State under Craig Kirchhoff in 1983. It left a lasting impression on me as to what music can be, emotional, free, & unconventional. Thank you composer Daniel Buckvich. Well done!

[@mastercraft64]

my school's wind ensemble played this a few years ago and when they had the people start yelling, there was a tympani player who started shreiking at the top of her lungs. that was the best concert i have ever been to just because of how nerve racking that was to hear

[@dougfunk1667]

I played this over 20 years ago in high school. It was moving/chilling. Hearing 20+ years later, it hasn’t lost its impact.

[@PVTPERKINS14]

i remember hearing this song at my brothers concert, the moment after it finished was just...... idk, it was played really well but how can you applaud after a piece like that? Incredible piece

[@hotelmario510]

I heard a plane humming outside my window just as 6:35 kicked in. It fit spookily.

[@brirox35]

we played this song with it totally pitch dark in the auditorium and when the ava maria part came up the lights started to come on but then the bombing part the lights when out and red lights flashed for the bombs. so freakign awesome!!!!!!

[@DEMONKILLER571]

Playing this piece as a Bass trombone was awesome :D, but how our band did it, we mixed vocal ensemble and the band together, and vocal did some screaming in the 4th movement, made the piece feel so real

[@julchenthorn2359]

Ritter, they were civilians. Not just civilians but may were refugees. It was the cultural and religious center of Germany, not a military target. Many of the people killed were innocent German citizens. Think about that for awhile before you decide that they deserved to burn.

[@sheevpalpatine8426]

Julchen Thorn Not to mention the american pow's that were in Dresden at the time of it's bombing.

[@DerpySuX]

It wasn't the best idea ever to say the very least

[@leonidasthegreat2563]

+Julchen Thorn it was a very wealthy part of Germany. and think of it this way: if the US didn't do it. add another few 100 thousand people how died that were innocent that were on the allied side.

[@ericstuewe389]

Actually, it wasn't just a civilian center. It was targeted for its factories that were helping supply the Nazi war effort

[@agnieszkacharzynska4188]

First, these military factories were not situated in city centre and they were not attacked. Secondly, these people had no weapons, no searchlights and no shelters (about half of them were refugees and Dresden was declared as no defence city). Moreover, the city was a hospital centre for wounded soldiers. Last but not least, it is no excuse for burning refugees. greetings from POLAND.

[@bagesys7227]

My college band played this piece last fall, and it was really quite spooky at the end. At the climax, we were told to scream - as though we were actually being bombed - and the recording is really intense. Its a beautiful composition and so impactful

[@mota._.h]

Today my teacher played us this piece after explaining it's back story, and it was sad but a new experience. Drums that sounded like gun shots, the sound of the bombs twirl till it falls, the sound of the planes dropping gasoline from the sky's. We heard everything including the screams, he also explained everything to us. He explained what we were hearing. It was heart breaking, but it was also fun in a way. Listening to something completely different than everything we've ever played. Made me at least, want to play it even more.

[@dutsu89]

this song is a legend at our school. the first flute solo has been played by some of the best flutes our schools ever had

[@MuiscMinaH]

I played this song in high school. And was the flute solo and at the end. I'm pretty sure the audience was terrified.

[@emsbandkid]

Played it loved it. Made the lights go red and had the, drummers out in the audience. Followed with salvation is created

[@sanrihoe698]

We played this last night for the concert for my high school's honors band c: at the end right when the bombs were being dropped we actually screamed, though.

[@beautimazing]

I am speechless. Woah.

[@chickenstripper5746]

I love this and hate it all at the same time. It scares me so much so and it brings me onto tears. The last C for the flute solo particularly hits me hard. We have to playlist for our spring concert and it makes me very very sad and depressed and scared. I get this primal instinct to run and hide I got this primal instinct that we’re gonna die. It sucks. I get the reason why this song was made I get the concept I don’t hate the concept. I hate the fourth act at the end. That’s where my urge to run kicks in. That’s where my urge to scream for real and to cry kicks in.I hate the fourth act. I really do. It makes me so sad and so scared because I think about how it can still happen how so many lives were taken at once with no good reason to it. There were no war bases or anything in Dresden. There are many refugees from World War II actually there and yet the allies who are the good guysHad bombed the city. So many lives were lost that day with no justification of it. It can still happen today I fear. I fear that with no rhyme or reason or even there might be a reason that here in America in my small town, We will get bombed. I will be with my mundane luck that I have have to hold my family who will be dead and cry. To think that has happened to so many people already so many people who have already gone through so much who have been trying to escape the persecution who I’ve been trying to live a normal life had nothing to do with the war and they get bombed and killed for no justifiable reason I hate this song I hate it. I hate that it actually happened and that it can still happen I hate the realm of possibility this leaves open. It’s frightening how much chaos murder and so on and so forth can happen just because you were suspected of having something that wasn’t there. It makes me scared for what this country is capable of now. It makes me scared for what if it happens again to other people. I do not want my kids to grow in a world like that. I do not wantTo live in a world like that end it frightens me.

[@wyattwahlgren8883]

My high school band was going to play this, but we didn't because it would be our last concert, and that's not a good way to end the year. I hope we play it this next year though.

[@CookiekatNya]

We're doing this piece...and we're only in the 8th grade....it's so hard to play...but still cool. :D

[@blunderrscrew6601]

My band was going to play this, but the concert was canceled because it of covid :( Such a wonderful piece

[@blue7hime]

Played this song for our Spring concert my senior year....freaked our audience out to hell and back xD I can still remember my director getting mad at us because we didn't understand and couldn't convey the emotion of the piece. Still, it came out pretty fantastic....in an eerie, bombing a city kind of way >>;

[@JiminyC04]

I played bassoon in our concert band for this. It still creeps me out.

[@Riku72293]

Did you know? The flute solo at the end of the piece is the sounds of a baby crying.

[@sgttau977]

We played this in High School as well. Before we started rehearsal, our band director told us the story.

[@willsmith5853]

At 5:03 what is that rattling noise supposed to represent?

[@vicho451]

+Will Smith the falling of the bombs.

[@trollingisasport]

Play this at my funeral

[@ben_jammin803]

We're playing this for our next concert at our high school. It sounds really awesome!

[@Nimmireth]

I love this piece. It's so wonderful and captivating and awesome.

[@cnrsfilms]

Playing this for highschool concert band, very well put together.

[@crazitaco]

oh man, that final sobbing flute....

[@rachelmills5289]

It scares me… 😢 do you think it represents the life of the people flickering out?

[@NerdGirlLouie]

I remember playing this English Horn part. I still get super nervous listening to it because I didn't want to mess up that solo in the 3rd movement!

[@m0410450]

Last Crash Cymbal hit, wow. awesome piece of music. so powerful

[@prussianeagle1941]

Talk about a nightmare...

[@sunnysarah20]

Like many, I also played this in high school band. It is so powerful.

[@nateblakeslee5127]

Our wind ensemble just played this at our last concert and it was soooo good

[@BreakingDawn200]

We are playing this for our contest song, i think. its really amazing (:

[@starcutie41532]

playing this for a concert along with the College band ...so excited

[@Classicrockismylife9]

@PhilosophicMinds to me it sounds like the second half of layla by eric clapton you may have to listen to it because it is the exact same notes.

[@sneazingKITTEN]

The highschool band played this and there were like so much lights and the boy i was sitting next to laughed at me because i jumped when they did the crash.This scared me :3

[@1zzyp]

What band is performing this?

[@moose656]

3:52 double reed power

[@MrRollrocker]

looked at the sheet music and said what are we exposed to play during the picture of the burning city.

[@austinjennings8908]

I'm playing the trombone part in all movements.

[@TarletonTexans2012]

I cant wait wait to play this for my schools spring concert

[@michaelpeters7044]

We played this song in High School Band.

[@venator5]

135.000 people died. ( Hans Voight the people who carried out the inentity of the victims said they have almost 40.000 namely known victims, and about 50.000 unknown bodies, (12.000 bodies with complete colthes and 10.000-20.000 rings etc) they found bodies when they rebuilted the city. They are calculated in this number. Also a jew worker who worked with the bodies after the bombing said they have 130.000 victims althogether, So I believe 130-135.000 is the closest number of victims.

[@agnieszkacharzynska4188]

the Voigt's report wasn't published by anyone...Do you know WHY?

[@jkosperformancestudio5990]

Perfect song to play at a wedding 😊

[@jkosperformancestudio5990]

Or a funeral

[@emochic524]

love it :) and its so much fun to play :)

[@mellowStorm]

Played this at state and made straight 1s

[@MrPhotoshoped]

We have the honor to play at Tan-tar-a this what were playing

[@15gatorsfan15]

Clarinets, for the win!

[@SirPiggyy]

Crystal Wright yep

[@JesykaL]

@BreakingDawn200 Hey, our band too! xD

[@christianitis]

There was no uncooked sausage left in the city of Dresden on February 15th, 1945

[@Tjurgubben]

It sounds like a new criminal bombattack

[@agnieszkacharzynska4188]

Less songs and film, more peace

[@pauldavidca9]

My high school Wind Ensemble played this in 2007. I posted it on here. Look up Andress High School Wind Ensemble 2007(part2) =]

[@doncavan6660]

If not for the U.S. deliberately violating our declared neutrality"for instance ,we now know the Lusitania was packed to the gunwales with ammiuntion for the British to use to kill Germans. Woodrow Wilson wanted us to get into WW1. This brought about defeat of Germany, humiiation of Versailles deprivations to the German people and the rise of Adolph Hitler and the Nazis to ameliorate the situation. If not for Franklin Rooseveldt for putting Churchill to "stand up" to Germany for rectifying wrongs perpetuated by trreaty of Versailles 1919 probaly would have been no WW2 no final solution {holocaust} no global spread of Communism, no Cold War mother of many small wars. Ther were natural boundaries to cruelty ;Nazi cruelty or others cruelty. WW2 removed all those boundaries. Unfortunately; too many people focus just on Nazi atrocities that would have been avoided without "countries' and "governments" as we now know them and their laws, taxes,drafts etc. that make World Wars, holocausts and saturation bombings possible.

[@DEMONKILLER571]

this song is epic,our small band of 44 makes it kickass. Go Sierra Music Department!!!!!

[@KeroroFan123]

we played this song for our school concert and it was not as good as it could have bee nbut

[@mikecook6553]

To all those who think the British didnt kill civilians in WW2. This song is dedicated to YOU.

[@agnieszkacharzynska4188]

kto daje łapkę w dół?

[@debbiecooper3661]

Sucks

[@pauldavidca9]

My high school Wind Ensemble played this in 2007. I posted it on here. Look up Andress High School Wind Ensemble 2007(part2) =]