Symphony No 1 (Amano)

From Wind Repertory Project
Masamicz Amano

Masamicz Amano


General Info

Year: 2007-2010
Duration: c. 43:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Various
Cost: Score and Parts – Each movement sold separately, which see.


Movements

1. Fantôme de l'amour (2007) Bravo Music. Rental ($350.00) – 12:00
2. ¿Estilo de España por que? (2008) Bravo Music. Rental ($300.00) – 11:00
3. Adagio Słowiańskie (2009) Cafua/Yamaha Singapore. S$540.00 – 8:00
4. Rondo – Coda (2010) - 14:12


Instrumentation (from third movement)

  • Full Score
  • C Piccolo
  • Flute I-II
  • Oboe I-II
  • Bassoon I-II
  • E-flat Soprano Clarinet
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
  • E-flat Alto Clarinet
  • B-flat Bass Clarinet
  • B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
  • B-flat Soprano Saxophone
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
  • B-flat Tenor Saxophone
  • E-flat Baritone Saxophone
  • Flugelhorn (2 players)
  • B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
  • Horn in F I-II (4 players)
  • Trombone I-II-III
  • Bass Trombone
  • Euphonium (2 players)
  • Tuba (2 players)
  • Contra-Bass
  • Piano
  • Timpani
  • Percussion I-VII, including:
*Bass Drum
*Chimes
*Crash Cymbals
*Glockenspiel
*Marimba
*Rain Tree
*Snare Drum
*Suspended Cymbal
*Tam-tam
*Triangle
*Vibraphone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Movements I and III were written for the Goulart [sic] Wind Orchestra. The movements were written and are published as separate works, meaning that Amano's Symphony No. 1 is actually four separate works written in consecutive years that were combined into one in 2010.

- Program Note from Wind Band Symphony Archive


Symphony No. 1 "Gral" was premiered at the Gral Wind Orchestra's 20th Anniversary 30th Regular Concert, conducted by Seiji Sagawa. Each movement was completed as a stand-alone piece between 2007 and 2010, eventually becoming a "symphony".

The first movement, Fantôme de l'amour, is written in sonata form.

The second movement, ¿Estilo de España por que?, is a Spanish-style scherzo-type work. The title may be translated directly as "Why, Spanish style?".

The third movement is Adagio Słowiańskie, meaning "Slavonic Adagio". It is an approximately eight-minute piece with quarter notes = 28 and only 60 bars.

The fourth movement is rondo-coda. Only this movement was composed as a movement of the symphony, and the motifs of each movement reappear. Amano himself played pipe organ in the first recording. This finale expresses the grandeur and power of the music.

- Program note by Cafua Records


¿Estilo de España por que? is commissioned by the consortium including Gral Wind Orchestra, Riviere Harmonie, Tochigi Prefecture Utsunomiya Minami High School Band and Mie Prefecture Ueno High School Band.

Every year after the all-Japan band competition, the groups that performed my piece get together for a joint party called "Team Amano". Last year (2007), in the middle of the party, Seiji Sagawa, an elderly friend from my home province, said to me, "Amano, write a piece in Spanish style for next year". So I had to write a Spanish-style piece, but it was very difficult to write something that was not in my own mind.

This piece is filled with Espagnol taste throughout. I used traditional Spanish rhythms and folk material that Falla, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Ravel used in their works, while trying not to deform the original taste too much. However, there is another quite different element in this work. This element is the expression of Mr. Sagawa's lifelong theme: love.

- Program note by composer


Movement III. Adagio Słowiańskie. The specified tempo of this production is Molto Adagio, something that the Japanese are weak at. The performance time of this production is a weak nine minutes with only 60 bars in total. This performance is in a very slow tempo with ¼ Note = 28. Nowadays, it is hard to find a wind instrument composition of this tempo though this tempo was preferred by artists such as Beethoven and Mahler. Recent performances adopt a much faster tempo. However, if you perform at the designated tempo, it is possible to express the song in a deep and significant manner.

The title Adagio Słowiańskie (‘L’ is written here with diagonal stroke pouncing it as ‘E-u’. it is a unique Polish character) reads as ‘Adagio Słowiańskie’ and it means “Slavic Adagio."

The above work is commissioned by Seiji Sagawa of Goulart [sic] Wind Orchestra. Further, “II” was added in the version for Bunkyo University Wind Orchestra. The intermediate part of this musical composition has been revised.

- Program Note by composer


N.B. In some contexts, the word "goulart" appears as part of the title and the name of the commissioning ensemble. It seems likely that this word is a mistransliteration or incorrect machine translation of the Japanese "gral" or "graal" (holy grail).


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

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