The work was commissioned by the Orchestre Français des Jeunes and premiered August 9, 2012, with Dennis Russell Davies conducting the Orchestre Français des Jeunes at the Grand Théâtre de Provence in Aix-en-Provence.
[2] The symphony reworks music originally written as Los paisajes del rio for the Philip Glass Ensemble, premiered at the 2008 Expo Zaragoza.
[4] The work is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, three clarinets (second doubling on E-flat clarinet, third doubling on bass clarinet), two bassoons, four French horns, three trumpets, two trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, six percussionists (chimes, glockenspiel, xylophone, marimbas, triangle, anvil, tamtam, clash cymbals, castanets, wood block, snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum), celesta, piano, harp, and strings (violins I & II, violas, violoncellos, and double basses).
Reviewing the world premiere at the Grand Théâtre de Provence, Arabella Saer of the Financial Times lauded the symphony, writing:There were enough typical Glass elements – repeated arpeggios, chugging chords, cross-rhythms and pared-down harmony – for the 35-minute piece to win no new converts.
[4] Andrew Clements of The Guardian later opined, "Its extrovert origins as latter-day fireworks music remain clear, though, as Glass's orchestration, with its brassy edge and martial percussion – lots of snare drum – underlines in Davies's performance.