University of York Music Press

Regarding the structure of the work, Conway notes that "[Saxton's] non-vocal, purely instrumental treatment avoids a strictly pictorial approach, preferring instead to focus on five episodes that attempt to capture the essence of sections from the original poem. The score’s structural coherence, superbly pointed up by conductor Kenneth Woods and the ESO players, ensured the unfolding narrative gripped the listener". The review continues by complimenting Saxton's use of orchestral colour, opening with "a vivid Prologue, suggesting the agitation of the citizens of Uruk under the young King Gilgamesh’s autocratic reign. At the heart of a tense movement was a relaxed and elegant clarinet solo, a moment of lyrical calm within a taut and predominantly dynamic opening statement." Later, "a hushed, intensely atmospheric, canonic setting entitled [....] evoking a relentless trek undertaken in search of fame and glory", "a fleet-footed scherzo illustrating Gilgamesh’s race against the sun’s trajectory", a lament in which "Gilgamesh mourns the passing of his friend Enkidu", and finally the apotheosis, which successfully offered "a summing up of the narrative". Explaining that the work effectively captures the "scale and grandeur of the historical tale", Conway suggests that Saxton's engagement with the characters in the story "conveyed a profound understanding of the legend’s personal elements, notably in the final section depicting Gilgamesh’s attainment of self-knowledge as he realises he is mortal and comes to accept the reality of death".

The performance itself also came highly commended, as Conway observes that the structure was "superbly pointed up by conductor Kenneth Woods and the ESO players, ensur[ing that] the unfolding narrative gripped the listener". "Kenneth Woods and the English Symphony Orchestra were instinctively alert to the music’s more intimately communicative aspects as well as its breadth and reach [...]."

Performance materials for Scenes from the Epic of Gilgamesh can be viewed and purchased via the UYMP website.