After a Gentle Rain

Anthony Iannaccone

General Info

Year: 1979
Duration: c. 6:45
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Shawnee Press
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $90.00 | Score Only (print) - $13.00

Movements

1. The Dark Green Glistens with Old Reflections – 3:30
2. Sparkling Air Bursts with Dancing Sunlight – 3:00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra Alto Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Timpani
Percussion, including:

Bells
Bongos
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal (large)
Tambourine
Tom-Tom (large and small)
Triangle (large and small)
Vibraphone
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

After a Gentle Rain is a work in two contrasting movements – the first quiet, meditative and introverted and the second sparkling, dance-like and extroverted. The work is dedicated to Max Plank and the Eastern Michigan University Symphonic Band.

The first movement – The Dark Green Glistens With Old Reflections – begins with a gently rippling arpeggiated figure containing the main harmonic and melodic idea of the entire piece: two superimposed major triads. The figure subtly changes color as it migrates through various registers, spacings, and doublings. While the external shape of the sextuplet seems frozen, one can hear an internal, textural progression of changing resonance qualities. Against this backdrop is painted a wide spectrum of both dark and bright mixtures of soft brass, reeds, and percussion. Those colorful mixtures constantly redefine the background and foreground of this introverted scenario.

The play on words in the title suggests images of light reflecting off moist green foliage, in turn evoking reflections “off” old memories in a quiet, meditative context. Memories, images and colors become bolder and more powerful, culminate in a climax and gradually recede into the past with the same delicate afterglow of soft bell sounds heard in the opening measures.

The movement Sparkling Air Bursts with Dancing Sunlight is extroverted and dance-like in nature. The movement gallops with the joy and freshness that seems to fill the air after a gentle rain. The cleansed air sparkles with a sense of rebirth and the celebration of life.

- Program Note from University of Oregon Symphonic Band concert program, 11 February 2016

Media

Audio CD: Clarence Wind Ensemble (Jeffrey Renshaw, conductor) – 2003
Audio CD: Clarion Wind Symphony (Max Plank, conductor) - 1998

State Ratings

Alabama: Class A
Georgia: VI
Iowa: IV
Kansas: V
Louisiana: V
Maryland: VI
Massachusetts: IV
Michigan: Senior High AA
New York: Concert Band VI
North Carolina: VI
Oklahoma: V-A
South Carolina: V
Tennessee: VI
Texas: V. Complete
Virginia: V

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

University of North Texas (Denton) Concert Band (Dachuan Cao, conductor) - 12 April 2023
Texas Tech University (Lubbock) Concert Band (Joel Pagán, conductor) - 25 April 2022
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Glenn C. Hayes, conductor) - 24 April 2022
North Central College (Naperville, Ill.) Concert Winds (Lawrence Van Oyen, conductor) - 23 April 2022
Temple University (Philadelphia, Penn.) Symphonic Band (Matthew Brunner, conductor) - 20 February 2022
State University of New York, Potsdam, Symphonic Band (Brian K. Doyle, conductor) – 3 March 2020
Baylor University (Waco, Texas) Symphonic Band (Isaiah Odajima, conductor) – 7 February 2020
Penn State University (University Park) Concert Band (Herbert J. Payung, conductor) – 9 December 2019
Austin (Tx.) Symphonic Band (Richard Floyd, conductor) – 12 November 2019
University of Wisconsin-Parkside Wind Ensemble (Ray E. Cramer, conductor) – 9 May 2019
Grand Street (New York) Community Band (Brian Worsdale, conductor) – 23 March 2019
University of Oregon (Eugene) Wind Symphony (Jason Silveira, conductor) – 7 March 2019
University of Texas, Arlington, Symphonic Band and Winds (Christopher Evans, conductor) – 2 December 2018
Syracuse (N.Y.) University Wind Ensemble (Bradley P. Ethington, conductor) – 13 November 2018
Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches, Tex.) Wind Ensemble (Fred J. Allen, conductor) – 13 November 2018
University of Georgia (Athens) Hodgson Wind Ensemble (Jonathan Poquette, conductor) – 1 September 2017
University of Illinois (Champaign) Wind Orchestra (Elizabeth Peterson, conductor) – 7 March 2017
Oklahoma City University Wind Philharmonic (Oklahoma City, Ok.) Kaleb Benda & Kellie Mirda, conductors) - 7 March 2017
Lyons Township High School (La Grange, Ill.) (Mark Dahl, conductor) – 28 April 2016

Works for Winds by This Composer

After a Gentle Rain (1979)
Antiphonies (1972)
Apparitions (1986)
Images of Song and Dance No. 1: Orpheus (1979)
Images of Song and Dance No. 2: Terpsichore (1981)
Interlude (1970)
Of Fire and Ice (1977)
Plymouth Trilogy (1981)
Psalms for a Great Country (1995)
Scherzo (1976)
Sea Drift (1993)

Resources

Anthony Iannaccone website Accessed 5 April 2016
Iannaccone, A. (1981). After a Gentle Rain [score]. Shawnee Press: Delaware Water Gap, Penn.
Miles, Richard B., and Larry Blocher. 2002. Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. Volume 4. Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 432-437.