This symphony of Antonio Sarrier was a discovery of the Mexican composer and musicologist Miguel Bernal Jiménez, who around 1938–39 located the score by cataloging the musical archive of the College of Santa Rosa de Santa Mádria (today known as the Conservatorio de las Rosas) which was founded in 1743 in Morelia, the capital of the Mexican state of Michoacán. The archive is considered an artistic treasure of the former New Spain, as colonial Mexico was known. In total, 156 sacred compositions and 25 secular works were inventoried. For many years, it was assumed that Sarrier, a musician from the Royal Court of Fernando VI of Bourbon in Madrid from 1746, had traveled to New Spain, leading to the label as “the first Mexican symphonist.” However, scholars now believe that Sarrier never journeyed to the New World and that the existence of his symphony in the Santa Rosa archive can rather be attributed to a score donation from the Madrid Royal Chapel to the Viceroyal conservatory in Morelia.
The short three-movement symphony has a style similar to Joseph Haydn’s first symphonies. The opening Allegro movement theme has a joyous, upbeat swing to it, with occasional interjections from oboes and high horns. The central Andante displays a touching lyrical quality, with calls and responses alternating between winds and strings. The Fugue finale is in the manner of an 18th century Italian ‘fuga’ rather than developed in the manner of Bach. It has a freshness of inspiration and simplicity of musical utterance that rounds off this charming discovery from Spain, or perhaps from New Spain!