Surrealistic Sinfonia is an orchestral work based on paintings by Salvador Dali. The paintings are the Persistence of Memory and the Hallucinogenic Toreador. The Sinfonia recreates these paintings through musical notation. The instrumentation calls for 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, 2 oboes, 1 english horn, 2 bassoon, 2 trumpets, 4 horns, 2 trombones, 1 tuba,strings, and percussion.
This thesis is separated into two sections: an orchestral score and corresponding analysis. The analysis discusses musical elements found in the sinfonia. These elements include form, harmonic language, rhythmic motives, texture, and orchestration. Musical exerpts from the score are used, in the analysis, to demonstrate these musical concepts.