Symphony for Band (Persichetti)

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Vincent Persichetti

Vincent Persichetti


Subtitle: Symphony No. 6

This work bears the designation Opus 69.


General Info

Year: 1956
Duration: c. 17:05
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Elkan Vogel, Inc / Theodore Presser Company
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $175.00   |   Score Only (print) - $50.00


Movements

1. Adagio allegro – 5:55
2. Adagio sostenuto – 3:40
3. Allegretto – 2:25
4. Vivace – 4:25


Instrumentation

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
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium I-II
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Sizzle Cymbal
  • Snare Drums (3: soprano, alto, tenor)
  • Suspended Cymbals (2)
  • Tambourine
  • Tenor Drum
  • Tom-tom
  • Triangle
  • Xylophone

Players singing


Errata

In Score:

  • Flute I, m.34: Add a dot to the quarter note.
  • Oboe I, m.35: Add a crescendo and decrescendo
  • Oboe I, m.37: Add a crescendo and decrescendo
  • Oboe II, m.35: Add a crescendo and decrescendo
  • Oboe II, m.37: Add a crescendo and decrescendo
  • Bassoon I, m.157: Correct beat two to a quarter note.
  • Bassoon II, m.157: Correct beat two to a quarter note.
  • Bassoon II, m.267: Note should be an E-flat
  • E-flat Soprano Clarinet, m.92: Add a slur from beat one to beat two
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet II, m.198: Add a slur from beat two to the half note in the next measure.
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone I, m.93: Add both an eighth rest and quarter rest.
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone I, m.189-190: Add accents on beats one and two and slur the eighth notes.
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone I, m.227: Add a sharp to the second note.
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone II, m.93: Add both an eighth rest and quarter rest.
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone II, m.189-190: Add accents on beats one and two and slur the eighth notes.
  • B-flat Tenor Saxophone, m.103: Add staccato and accent to the eighth note.
  • Baritone Saxophone, m.103: Add staccato and accent to the eighth note.
  • B-flat Cornet I, m.54: Add both an eighth rest and quarter rest.
  • Trumpet I, m.276: Add "dim.molto"
  • Trumpet II, m.276: Add "dim.molto"
  • Trombone II, m.100: Add both an eighth rest and quarter rest.
  • Trombone II, m.152: Add a natural sign before written B.
  • Trombone III, m.100: Add both an eighth rest and quarter rest.
  • Tuba, m.100: Add both an eighth rest and quarter rest.
  • Percussion II, m.8: Add rests to complete the measure.
  • Percussion II, m.104: Add a quarter rest.
  • Percussion II, m.106: Add a quarter rest.

Movement II - Adagio sostenuto

  • B-flat Clarinet II, m.13: Correct note to written F sharp.
  • B-flat Clarinet III, m.22: Add a dot to the whole note.
  • Bass Clarinet, m.24: Add a dot to the whole note.
  • Bass Clarinet, m.30: Add a dot to the whole note.
  • Baritone Saxophone, m.20: Correct the second note to a half note.
  • Tuba, m.57: Change dynamic to pianissimo.

Movement III - Allegretto

  • Score, m.27: Add poco più moso
  • Score, m.62: Change A Tempo to Tempo I
  • E-flat Alto Clarinet, m.74-75: Remove dot from half note.
  • B-flat Bass Clarinet, m.74-75: Remove dot from half note.
  • B-flat Tenor Saxophone, m.2: Add a dot to the half note.
  • E-flat Baritone Saxophone, m.21: Add a dot to the first note.
  • B-flat Cornet II, m.77: Correct the rhythm of this measure to three beamed eighth-notes and one dotted quarter note.
  • B-flat Cornet III, m.77: Correct the rhythm of this measure to three beamed eighth-notes and one dotted quarter note.

Movement IV - Vivace

  • Oboe I, m.75: Add a quarter rest to beat four.
  • Oboe I, m.109: Add a half rest.
  • Oboe I, m.132: Add a half rest.
  • Oboe I, m.265: Add a quarter rest to beat four.
  • Oboe II, m.75: Add a quarter rest to beat four.
  • Oboe II, m.109: Add a half rest.
  • Oboe II, m.132: Add a half rest.
  • Oboe II, m.265: Add a quarter rest to beat four.
  • Bassoon I, m.160: Add staccato dots to beats three and four.
  • Bassoon I, m.286: Add a slur to the next measure.
  • Bassoon II, m.160: Add staccato dots to beats three and four.
  • Bassoon II, m.286: Add a slur to the next measure.

In Parts:

'Movement I - Adagio allegro

  • Piccolo, m.203: Add an accent to beats one and two.
  • Flute I, m.82: Add accents to all notes.
  • Flute I, m.161: Add a flat to the second sixteenth note.
  • Oboe I, m.102: Add an accent to the first eighth note.
  • Oboe I, m.159: Add Solo.
  • Oboe I, m.280: Add piano dynamic marking.
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet III, m.100: Add an accent to the first eighth note.
  • B-flat Bass Clarinet, m.161: Add a tenuto mark to beat one.
  • Bassoon II, m.237: Add both an eighth rest and quarter rest.
  • B-flat Tenor Saxophone, m.57: Add staccato dots to the first two notes.
  • B-flat Tenor Saxophone, m.103: Add staccato and accent to the eighth note.
  • E-flat Baritone Saxophone, m.103: Add staccato and accent to the eighth note.
  • Cornet II, m.210: Correct rehearsal number 120 to read 210.
  • Horn in F I, m.230: Add an eighth rest.
  • Horn in F I, m.239: Add sforzando to beats one and two.
  • Horn in F II, m.254: Add an accent to beat one.
  • Trombone II, m.152: Add a natural sign before written B.
  • Euphonium, m.21: Add solo.
  • Euphonium, m.69: Delete one measure rest.
  • Euphonium, m.171: Add cues from trumpet fanfare after 43 measures of rest.

Movement II - Adagio sostenuto

  • Flute I, m.45: Add piccolo as cue.
  • Flute II, m.45: Add piccolo as cue.
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet II, m.13: Correct note to written F sharp.
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet III, m.35: Add a dot to the whole note.
  • Oboe I, m.13: Add solo.
  • Oboe II, m.52: Add clarinet I cue after 44 bars of rest.
  • E-flat Alto Clarinet, m.26: Add diminuendo dynamic.
  • B-flat Bass Clarinet, m.30: Add a dot to the whole note.
  • Bassoon II, m.29: Add a dot to the whole note.
  • B-flat Cornet I, m.28: Add pianissimo dynamic at the end of the decrescendo.
  • Tuba, m.57: Change dynamic to pianissimo.

Movement III - Allegretto

  • All Instruments, m.27: Add poco più moso
  • All Instruments, m.62: Change A Tempo to Tempo I
  • Piccolo, m.99: Add cue from oboe (m.94) after 41 bars of rest.
  • Flute I, m.99: Add the (6/8) time signature.
  • Flute II, mm.60-61: Indicate a multi-measure rest in part.
  • Oboe I, m.25: Correct the last note to a second space A4.
  • Oboe I, m.64: Add natural sign to the last eighth note.
  • E-flat Alto Clarinet, m.40: Delete the accent on beat two.
  • E-flat Alto Clarinet, m.74-75: Remove dot from half note.
  • E-flat Alto Clarinet, m.115: Remove sharp from written A.
  • E-flat Alto Clarinet, m.116: Correct the second note to a written F-sharp.
  • B-flat Bass Clarinet, m.40: Delete the second accent.
  • B-flat Bass Clarinet, m.65: Add a crescendo.
  • B-flat Bass Clarinet, mm.74-75: Remove dot from half note.
  • Bassoon I, m.40: Add an accent to beat one.
  • E-flat Baritone Saxophone, m.44: Add sharp to written C.
  • Euphonium, m.124-126: Tacet these 3 measures.
  • Tuba, m.124-126: Col. Euphonium part.

Movement IV - Vivace

  • Flute I, m.72: Correct beat one to a G natural and beat two to F natural.
  • Flute I, m.79: Add an accent to the half note.
  • Flute I, m.188: Add natural sign to written C.
  • Flute I, m.232: Add a quarter and a half rest.
  • Flute II, m.188: Add natural sign to written C.
  • Oboe I, m.205: Add cue to part after 63 bars of rest.
  • Oboe II, m.140: Remove the upper accent.
  • Oboe II, m.205: Add cue to part after 63 bars of rest.
  • E-flat Soprano Clarinet, m.200: Add cue to part after 40 bars of rest.
  • Bassoon I, m.77: Add an accent to beat one.
  • Bassoon II, m.77: Add an accent to beat one.
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone I, m.61: Add both a quarter rest and half rest.
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone II, m.100: Rehearsal numbers 100 and 110 should be interchanged.
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone II, m.85: Add natural sign to written C.
  • B-flat Cornet II, m.212: Add at end of bar.
  • Horn in F III, m.225: Add an accent to beat one.
  • Trombone II, m.268: Add sforzando to second note.
  • Trombone II, m.270: Add a flat sign to written F.
  • Percussion I, m.38: Use wooden sticks for maximum sound and clear articulation.

- Errata from Michael Chester Paper in "Resources," below.

See also: Topolewski, in Resources, below.


Program Notes

The Symphony for Band was commissioned and premiered by Clark Mitze and the Washington University Band at the MENC Convention in St. Louis on April 16, 1956. According to the composer, it could have been titled Symphony for Winds, following, as it did, his Symphony No. 5 for Strings. Persichetti, however, did not wish to avoid the word “band,” which he felt no longer had the connotation of a poor quality of music. In the autumn 1964 Journal of Band Research, he wrote, “Band music is virtually the only kind of music in America today (outside of the ‘pop’ field) which can be introduced, accepted, put to immediate and wide use, and become a staple of the literature in a short time.” According to Jeffrey Renshaw, “The Symphony for Band ... was in many ways such a departure from the established concepts of band works that it influenced the attitudes of generations of composers.”

The four movements (Adagio allegro, Adagio sostenuto, Allegretto, and Vivace) have forms with traditional implications. The opening horn call and a following scale-wise passage in the slow introduction become the two principal themes (in reverse order) in the subsequent Allegro. The standard exposition, development, and recapitulation of sonata form are the Allegro, although the traditional key relationships are not completely retained. The slow second movement is based on Round Me Falls the Night, from the composer’s Hymns and Responses for the Church Year. The third movement, in trio form, serves as the traditional dance movement and is followed by a finale in free rondo form, which draws the thematic material from the preceding movements and concludes with a chord containing all 12 tones of the scale.

- Program Note from San Luis Obispo Wind Orchestra concert program, March 2, 2010


Persichetti composed his massive Symphony for Band during a time when directors vigorously sought repertoire that distinguished bands as serious performance groups. Over fifty years later, this work continues to receive frequent performances and is regarded as a masterpiece of the genre. Symphony for Band is based upon relatively short, rhythmic motives that are manipulated in a variety of ways. Persichetti tends to preserve distinct instrumental families, so brass, woodwind, and percussion often function as independent groups. Collegiate bands and exceptional high school groups would be able to navigate the technical challenges in this historically significant piece.

- Program Note from Great Music for Wind Band


Media


State Ratings

  • Florida:  ---   (The Florida Bandmasters Association denotes this as "significant literature.")
    • Grade IV: Movement 2 only
    • Grade V: Movements 1, 2, and one other
    • Grade VI: Complete Symphony
  • New York:
    • Grade VI: Movement 4 and one other
  • North Carolina:
    • VI: may omit one movement
    • Masterworks: play all
  • Texas:
    • Grade III: Play 1 movement only
    • Grade IV: Play 3 movements
    • Grade V: Play all movements
  • Virginia:
    • Grade VI: Movement 1 only
    • Grade VI: Movement 4 only
    • (a full performance of the entire symphony counts as two grade VI works).


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Concert Band (Courtney Snyder, conductor) – 26 September 2023
  • Eastman School of Music (Rochester, N.Y.) Wind Orchestra (Mason St. Pierre, conductor) - 27 March 2023
  • University of Louisiana at Lafayette Wind Ensemble (William J. Hochkeppel, conductor) - 20 April 2023
  • Hebron High School (Carrollton, Tx.) Wind Symphony (Andrew Sealy, conductor) – 10 February 2023 (2023 TMEA Conference, San Antonio)
  • University of New Mexico (Albuquerque) Wind Symphony (Brett Penshorn, conductor) - 8 February 2023
  • University of Delaware (Newark) Wind Ensemble (Lauren Reynolds, conductor) – 6 December 2022
  • University of Kansas (Lawrence) Wind Ensemble (Melissa Sawyer, conductor) – 21 November 2022
  • Indiana University (Bloomington) Concert Band (Jason S. Nam, conductor) – 8 November 2022
  • National Youth Band of Canada (Darrin Oehlerking, conductor) - 13 May 2022
  • Bentonville (Ark.) High School Wind Ensemble (Timothy Hendrix, conductor) — 12 April 2022
  • University of North Texas (Denton) Wind Ensemble (Daniel Cook, conductor) – 15 February 2022
  • Southeastern Louisiana University (Hammond) Wind Symphony (Robert Schwartz, conductor) - 16 November 2021
  • Texas Tech University (Lubbock) Symphonic Band (Eric Allen, conductor) - 7 May 2021
  • Hope College (Holland, Mich.) Wind Ensemble (Gabe Southard, conductor) - 23 April 2021
  • Texas A&M University (College Station) Symphonic Winds (Travis Almany, conductor) – 18 October 2020
  • Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minn.) Wind Symphony (James Patrick Miller, conductor) – 21 March 2020 (scheduled, but concert canceled)
  • Eastman Wind Ensemble (Rochester, N.Y.) (Frederick Fennell, conductor) – 17 November 1961 *Premiere Eastman Wind Ensemble Concert*


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

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