Symphony III (Giannini)

From Wind Repertory Project
Vittorio Giannini

Vittorio Giannini


General Info

Year: 1958 / 1961
Duration: c. 22:40
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Belwin Mills
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $200.00; (digital) - $200.00   |   Score Only (print) - $20.00; (digital) - $20.00


Movements

1. Allegro enerico – 7:05
2. Adagio – 6:50
3. Allegretto – 3:30
4. Allegro con brio – 5:25


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon (doubling String Bass)
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Bass Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Horn in E-flat I-II-III-IV (written in F in score)
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass (doubling Contrabassoon )
Timpani
Percussion (5 players), including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Snare Drum
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Tam-Tam
  • Triangle


Errata

Note: Some errata have been corrected in a later printing of the parts.

  • Oboe I, Mvt. 4, reh. 6 + 2 meas.: poco rall. should read poco accel.
  • Oboe II, Mvt. 3, reh. 5: change 5 meas. rest to a 10 meas. rest.
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet I, Mvt. 1, 3 before reh. 8, beat 3: C-B-flat should read A-G
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet I, Mvt. 1, 2 meas. before reh. 11, beat 1: remove smudge
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet I, Mvt. 1, reh. 24 and 2 meas. before reh. 24, beat 2: A should read A sharp [?]
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet I, Mvt. 3, reh. 16 + 5 & 7, beat 4–5: move note to beat 5; beat 4 is an eighth note rest
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet III, Mvt. 1, 3 meas. after reh. 14, beat 4: C natural should read C sharp
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet III, Mvt. 3, 1 meas. before reh. 3, beat 2: color in B-flat eighth note
  • Bassoon I, Mvt. 1, reh. 4 + 11: add reh. 5
  • Bassoon I, Mvt. 1, reh. 4 + 12: delete reh. 5
  • Bassoon I, Mvt. 1, 1 meas. before (corrected) reh. 5: delete reh. 5
  • Bassoon I, Mvt. 1, reh. 15, beat 4: C should read A
  • Bassoon II, Mvt. 1, reh. 4 + 11 meas.: add rehearsal no. 5
  • Bassoon II, Mvt. 1, reh. 4 + 12 meas.: delete old rehearsal no. 5
  • Bassoon II, Mvt. 1, reh. 6 + 5 meas., beat 2: clarify B half note
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone I, Mvt. 1, reh. 1 + 3 meas., beat 1: F natural should read F sharp
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone II, Mvt. 1, reh. 1 + 3 meas., beat 1: F natural should read F sharp
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone II, Mvt. 4, 1 meas. before reh. 15, beat 4: add luftpause
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone II, Mvt. 4, 4 before reh. 17, beat 3: A natural should read A-flat
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone II, Mvt. 4, 2 before reh. 17: whole note C should read half note C + quarter notes E-flat and F
  • B-flat Tenor Sax, Mvt. 1, reh. 6 + 5 meas., beat 2: clarify half note C sharp
  • E-flat Baritone Sax, Mvt. 1, reh. 6 + 6 meas., beat 1: F natural should read F sharp
  • E-flat Baritone Sax, Mvt. 1, reh. 20 + 1 meas., beat 1: F natural should read F sharp
  • E-flat Baritone Sax, Mvt. 3, 1 meas. before reh. 16, beat 1: G-flat should read G natural [??]
  • B-flat Cornet III, Mvt. 1, meas. 1: common time meter should read cut time
  • B-flat Cornet III, Mvt. 3, 1 meas. before reh. 17, beat 3: delete eighth rest (eighth note should fall on beat 3)
  • Horn in F I, Mvt. 2, 4 meas. after reh. 6, beat 4: add quarter rest
  • Horn in F I, Mvt. 3, 11 meas. after reh. 6: add reh. no. 7 (delete printed reh. 7 from following measure)
  • Horn in F II, Mvt. 3, 1 meas. before reh. 6 beat 4: E natural should read E sharp
  • Horn in F II, Mvt. 4, 1 meas. before reh. 3, beat 3: clarify E half note
  • Horn in F III, Mvt. 4, 4 meas. after reh. 5, beat 4: clarify D eighth note
  • Horn in F IV, Mvt. 4, reh. 8, beat 1: F sharp should read B natural
  • Horn in F IV, Mvt. 4, 1 meas. before reh. 17, beat 4: clarify luftpause
  • Trombone I, Mvt. 4, 7 meas. after reh. 15, beat 1: C natural should read C flat
  • Trombone II, Mvt. 1, 11 meas. after reh. 11: reh. 15 should read reh. 12
  • Baritone T.C., Mvt. 4, 5 meas. after reh. 5, beat 2: clarify half note
  • Tubas, Mvt. 4, 2 meas. after reh. 6, beat 3: add “poco. accel.”
  • Tubas, Mvt. 4, 4 meas. after reh. 6, beat 1: add “Tempo I”
  • String Bass, Mvt. 4, 2 meas. after reh. 6, beat 3: add “poco. accel.”
  • String Bass, Mvt. 4, 4 meas. after reh. 6, beat 1: add “Tempo I”

See also: Topolewski in Resources, below.


Program Notes

The Symphony No. 3 was composed on a commission by the Duke University Band and its conductor, Paul Bryan, during the summer of 1958, in Rome Italy, where I was spending my vacation. It is my second work for band; the first, Praeludium and Allegro, was commissioned by Richard Franko Goldman.

I can give no other reason for choosing to write a symphony to fulfill this commission than that I “felt like it,” and the thought of doing it interested me a great deal.

I will not go into the technical details of the work. Basically, the listener is not concerned with them beyond what they can hear for themselves. I follow no ‘isms’ when I compose; I try to project and communicate a feeling, a thought that is in me at the time, using whatever technique is suggested by my mood to achieve this communication.

The form of the movements is this: first movement – sonata allegro; second movement – A B A; third movement – A B A B; fourth movement – sonata allegro. There is no program – only what I heard and felt at the time. I hope it makes music.

- Program Note by composer


Though the symphony form is more associated with the orchestra, there have been several symphonies written for band by such notable composers as Vincent Persichetti, Morton Gould and Alan Hovhaness. The period of the 1950s and 1960s was a fertile one for the creation of serious works for the wind repertoire. The spark was the establishment of the Eastman Wind Ensemble in 1952, which led many colleges and universities to establish elite wind and percussion ensembles.

Giannini's Symphony No. 3 is a notable example from this period. It was commissioned by the Duke University Band and was composed while the composer was vacationing in Rome in 1958. The work is structured as a late Classical, early Romantic symphony of four movements. The first movement is in traditional sonata-allegro form, which consists of three major sections –– exposition, development, and recapitulation. The exposition begins the movement by introducing two contrasting themes. Giannini starts with a bold opening theme, followed by a contrasting lyrical, tranquil theme. The heart of the movement is the development section in which these themes and fresh material are developed, changed and interwoven in a series of modulations or key changes. Finally, the recapitulation returns the listener to a reprise of the original themes, capped by a concluding coda.

- Program Note from Kennesaw State University Wind Symphony concert program, 10 October 2018


The work reflects Giannini’s interests in expressive lyric melodies, a discernible harmonic approach, and motivic craft. Each movement insists upon clarity of melodic material while exercising an intelligible, unambiguous organizational structure.

- Program Note from Appalachian State University Wind Ensemble concert program, 23 November 2015


The fourth movement, Allegro con brio, of Giannini’s Symphony No. 3 is a fast-paced tour de force for both woodwinds and brass, providing the energy and excitement one would expect from a symphonic finale. Written in a typical ABA form, it includes several memorable melodies. The middle section, in particular, features a wonderful tune reminiscent of an old European folk song. Ultimately, this piece ends as it began: with flash and brilliance that demands a high level of virtuosity from the entire ensemble.

- Program Note from United States Marine Band concert program, 6 June 2019


Media


State Ratings

  • Florida: VI (the Florida Bandmasters Association denotes this as significant literature)
  • Georgia:
    • VI: Mvt. 4 plus one other
    • Masterwork: Complete Symphony
  • Minnesota: Category I
  • New York: VI (Mvt. I plus one other movement)
  • Texas: IV (play one movement); V (play at least two movements)


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Viera High School (Melbourne, Fla.) Wind Ensemble (Nick Eggen, conductor) – 1 March 2024 (CBDNA 2024 Southern Division Conference, Memphis, Tenn.)
  • Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, Penn.) Wind Ensemble (George Vosburgh, conductor) - 16 September 2023
  • Pinnacle Winds (Kansas City, Mo.) (Timothy J. Holtan, conductor) - 14 May 2023
  • Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisc.) Wind Ensemble (Andrew Mast, conductor) – 25 February 2023
  • University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg) Symphonic Winds (Colin McKenzie, conductor) - 26 April 2022
  • University of South Alabama (Mobile) Wind Ensemble (William Petersen, conductor) – 21 February 2022
  • University of Central Florida (Orlando) Wind Ensemble (Scott Lubaroff, conductor) – 17 September 2020
  • McClellan College (Waco, Tx.) Concert Band (Jon Conrad, conductor) – 5 March 2020
  • Duke University (Durham, N.C.) Wind Symphony (Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant, conductor) – 29 February 2020
  • University of Miami (Coral Gables) Frost Symphonic Winds (Steven Moore, conductor) – 16 February 2020
  • Appalachian State University (Boone, N.C.) Wind Ensemble (John Stanley Ross, conductor) – 14 February 2019
  • Banda dell'Esercito Italiano (Italian Army Wind Band) (Filippo Cangiamila, conductor) – 8 December 2019
  • James Madison University (Harrisonburg, Va.) Wind Symphony (Stephen Bolstad, conductor) – 4 December 2019
  • Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.) Wind Symphony (Joseph Hermann, conductor) – 24 November 2019
  • Franklin & Marshall College (Lancaster, Penn.) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Brian Norcross, conductor) – 8 November 2019
  • United States Marine Band (Washington, D.C.) (Bryan P. Sherlock, conductor) – 6 June 2019
  • University of Texas (Austin) Symphony Band (Joshua Gall, conductor) – 8 May 2019
  • University of North Texas (Denton) Wind Symphony (Jochen McEvoy and Brett Penshorn, conductors) – 25 April 2019
  • Lee University (Cleveland, Tenn.) Wind Ensemble (David Holsinger, conductor) – 23 April 2019
  • Eastman Wind Ensemble (Rochester, N.Y.) (Donald Hunsberger, conductor) – 15 March 1963


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

  • Bruning, Earl H., Jr. (1980) “A survey and handbook of analysis for the conducting and interpretation of seven selected works in the standard repertoire for wind band.” D.A. diss., Muncie, IN: Ball State University. pp. 23-25, 108-139.
  • Giannini, V. (1961). Symphony 3 for Symphonic Band [score]. Belwin Mills: Melville, N.Y.
  • Hurwitz, David. "Repertoire: Giannini Symphony No., 3--The ULTIMATE Band Symphony." YouTube, 20 July 2020. Web. Accessed 9 January 2021
  • Mark, Michael L. (1969) “The band music of Vittorio Giannini.” Music Educators Journal 55, no. 8 (April 1969): 77-80.
  • Miles, Richard B., and Larry Blocher. (2010). Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 1. Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 725-733.
  • MOLA Errata List
  • Mullins, Joe Barry. (1967) “Three Symphonies for Band by American Composers.” Ph.D. diss., Urbana-Champaign: University of Illinois, 1967. Condensed in an article as, “A Comparative Analysis of Three Symphonies for Band.” Journal of Band Research 6, no. 1 (Fall 1969): 17-28.
  • "Symphony No. 3." Wind Band Symphony Archive. Web. Accessed 5 November 2021
  • Topolewski, Timothy. Errata Studies for the Wind Band Conductor, Vol. 1. Topolewski, 1990.
  • Wynn, James Leroy. (1965) “An analysis of the first movement of the Symphony No. 3 for Band by Vittorio Giannini.” Journal of Band Research 1, no. 2 (Spring 1965): 19-26.