Simphonie Militaire
François-Joseph Gossec (ed. Kenneth Amis)
General Info
Year: 1793 / 2013
Duration: c. 5:45
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Amis Musical Circle
Cost: Score and Parts - $40.00 | Score Only - $7.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo I-II
Oboe I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
Bassoon I-II
Contrabasson (or Contrabass)
Horn in F I-II
C Trumpet I-II (B-flat Trumpet parts included)
Timpani
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Gossec’s Symphonie Militaire was written in 1793-94 during the French Revolution for the Band of the National Guard. Writing in the Journal of Band Research (Vol. 6, No. 1), David Swanzy proposes that this work has a fourth movement for choir and band, thus predating Beethoven’s choral symphony by a full 30 years. He indicates that “perhaps Gossec should be given credit as the ‘father’ of the choral symphony."
The first movement of this symphony is spirited and majestic and is written in the key of F, a common key for the period because of the preponderance of brass instruments built in F and restricted to upper partial tones. The second movement is a short, melodic pastorale in a slow 6/8 meter. The third movement is fast and exciting even though the tonality of C major may seem a bit inconclusive.
- Program Note from Program Notes for Band
This arrangement uses the work's original instrumentation.
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
- Lynn University (Boca Raton, Fla.) Wind Ensemble (Kenneth Amis, conductor) – 15 September 2013
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Classic Overture in C (ed. Goldman and Smith) (1794/1951)
- Funeral March (Gossec)
- Le Grande Simphonie en Ut (ed. Kehl) (1794/2019)
- Marche Lugubre (ed. Dabelstein) (1790/2020)
- Military Symphony in F (arr. Goldman) (1793/1950)
- Simphonie Militaire (arr. Amis) (1793/2013)
- Tambourin
Resources
- Smith, Norman E. (2002). Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, pp. 241.