Canzon primi toni

Giovanni Gabrieli

Subtitle: Sacrae symphoniae, Venice, 1597

General Info

Year: 1597 / 1960
Duration: c. 3:35
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Robert King Music
Cost: Score & Parts - $52.10

Instrumentation

Full Score

Choir I
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Trombone I-II

Choir II
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Trombone I-II

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Canzon per sonar primi toni is in the Dorian mode, which comprises a set of intervals and melodies that do not correspond neatly with either the major or minor harmonies that would become standard by the end of the Baroque era. It was composed for two ensembles, each with four parts. These ensembles would be seated across from each other in the choir lofts at St. Mark, creating a marvelous “stereo” effect.

The piece begins with a rhythmic theme common in its time, the “dactyl foot” which consists of one long note followed by two shorter notes. The choirs engage in a call-and-response with each other, and sometimes play together. Most of the phrases are begun with the dactyl pattern, sometimes in diminution. Sacrae Symphonia was such a popular publication that many young composers from the north came to Venice to study and brought Italian Baroque style back with them to Germany and other important centers of music.

- Program Note from University of Texas Wind Symphony concert program, 20 October 2021

Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge) Symphonic Band (Dontay Douglas conductor) - 28 April 2022
Dallas (Tx.) Winds (Jerry Junkin, conductor) - 24 April 2021
University of British Columbia (Vancouver) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Rob Taylor, conductor) - 26 February 2021
University of Iowa (Iowa City) Symphony Band (J.T. Womack, conductor) - 10 December 2020
University of North Texas (Denton) Wind Studies Chamber Winds (Daniel Cook, conductor) - 16 November 2020
Concordia College (Moorhead, Minn.) Band (Peter Haberman, conductor) – 24 November 2019
University of British Columbia (Vancouver) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Robert Taylor, conductor) – 17 November 2018
Texas Woman's University (Denton) Wind Symphony (Carter Biggers, conductor) – 10 November 2018
University of Wisconsin-Madison Wind Ensemble (Scott Teeple, conductor) – 5 October 2018
University of Texas (Austin) Symphony Band (Ryan S. Kelly, conductor) – 18 October 2017
Boston (Mass.) Conservatory Wind Ensemble (Eric Hewitt, conductor) – 5 May 2017
Marshall University (Huntington, W.V.) Wind Symphony (Brian O. Walden, conductor) - 12 October 2016
Penn State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Dennis Glocke, conductor) – 4 October 2015
University of Michigan Concert Band (Courtney Snyder, conductor) - 9 February 2015

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Canzon per Sonare No. 4 (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Marlatt) (c. 1597/2012)

All Wind Works

Canzon Duodecimi Toni (arr. Bryan) (1597/2021)
Canzon Duodecimi Toni (ed.King) (1597/1958)
Canzon in Double Echo (ed. King) (/1973)
Canzon Noni Toni (arr. King) (1597/19--?)
Canzon per Sonar Primi Toni, no. 1 (arr. Higgins) (1597/2014)
Canzon per Sonare No. 4 (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Marlatt) (c. 1597/2012)
Canzon pian’ e forte (arr. Taillard) (1597/2002)
Canzon primi toni
Canzon primi toni a 8 (1597/2007)
Canzon Quarta (arr. Hautvast) (1608/2011)
Canzon quarti toni (adapt. King) (1597/1959)
Canzon septimi toni 8, no. 2 (ed. Block) (1597/1972)
Canzon septimi toni No 1
Canzon septimi toni No 2 (1597/1958)
Canzon septimi toni no. 2 (ed. Crees) (1597/1996)
Canzona No. 1 (arr. Margolis) (1597/1985)
Canzon VI á 7 (arr. Magatagan) (<1612/2013)
Canzona VI (arr. Salfelder) (<1612/2020?)
Canzona per sonare No. 2 (ed. King) (1608/1959)
Canzona per sonare No. 4 (ed. King) (1608/1957)
Canzoni XVI & XVII (arr. Salfelder and Peltz) (1608/2021)
Canzoni 27 & 28 for 4 Trumpets and 4 Trombones (ed. Lumsden) (1608/1967)
Jubilate Deo (tr. Mathie) (1597/2008)
O Magnum Mysterium (arr. Higgins) (1587/2015)
Sonata Octavi Toni (ed. King) (1597/1957)
Sonata Octavi Toni (ed. Sherman) (1597/2021)
Sonata Pian' E Forte
Sonata Pian'e Forte (ed. Higgins)
Sonata Pian'e Forte (ed. King) (1958)
Sonata Pian’ e forte a 8 (orch. Stokowski) (1597)
Sonata XIX a 15 (ed. Smith) (<1612/1970)
Sonata XX a 22 (tr. Scatterday) (1615)
Two Canzonas

Resources

Gabrieli, G.; King, R. (1960). Canzon primi toni : Sacrae symphoniae, Venice, 1597 [score]. Robert King Music: North Easton, Mass.