Witches' Sabbath, The

Giacomo Puccini

Subtitle: La Tregenda from 'Le Villi'

General Info

Year: 1892 / 2010
Duration: c. 3:30
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: Amstel Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $105.00 | Score Only - $33.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium (div.)
Tuba
String Bass
Harp
Timpani
Percussion, including:

Bass Drum
Crash Cymbal
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Tam-tam
Triangle

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Puccini wrote two movements for a symphonic intermezzo between the two acts of his first opera, Le Villi – L'Abbandono (The Desertion) and La Tregenda (The Witches' Sabbath).

- Program Note from publisher

Originally written as a one-act opera, Puccini was asked by the publisher Ricordi to expand it to a full opera. It premiered in Hamburg in 1892 with Gustav Mahler on the podium.

Poet Heinrich Heine wrote this description of the fairy figures called La Villi (The Willis):

“Willis are betrothed maidens who died before their weddings. These poor creatures cannot find rest in their graves. In their dead hearts, in their dead feet, the passion for dancing lives on. A passion that they could not satisfy in their lifetime. A midnight they appear in groups along country lanes. Woe betide the young man that encounters them! He will be forced to dance with them, and he must dance until he drops dead!”

- Program Note from Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
Audio CD: Senzoku Gakuen College of Music Wind Ensemble (Johan de Meij, conductor) - 2011

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble (Oakfield, N.Y.) (Martin Allen, conductor) – 24 November 2019
State University of New York, Fredonia, Wind Symphony (Donna Dolson, conductor) – 14 November 2019
University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) Wind Ensemble (Johan de Meij, conductor) - 5 March 2014 (ABA 2014 Annual Convention (Montgomery, Alabama))

Works for Winds by This Composer

Angelo del Cielo (arr. de Meij) (1917/2007)
Ch'ella Mi Creda (arr. de Meij) (1910/2008)
Christmas Scene from "La Bohème" (arr. Morita) (1896/2002)
Corazzata Sicilia (ed. Creux) (1897/2017)
Donde Lieta from "La Bohème" (arr. Kreines) (1896/)
Edgar (arr. de Meij) (1889/2008)
Fantasy on "Madama Butterfly" (arr. Goto) (1904/2000)
Gianni Schicchi (arr. Suzuki) (1918/2015)
Highlights from Act 1, "Tosca" (arr. Goto) (1900/2014)
Intermezzo from "Manon Lescaut" (arr. McBeth) (1893/1984)
Kyrie from Messa di Gloria (tr. Paxton) (1980/2015)
La Bohème (arr. Stebbing) (1896/1948)
La Bohème (arr. Dawson) (1896/1992)
La Fanciulla del West (arr. de Meij) (1910/2008)
La Tregenda (arr. Beck) (1883/2012)
La Tregenda (arr. Foster) (1883/1996)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Bocook) (1926/2003)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Beringen) (1926/1991)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Cray)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Hattendorf) (1926/2007)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Rossi) (1926/2008)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Turrin) (1926/2010)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Vinson) (1926/2009)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Williams) (1926/2000)
Nessun Dorma (tr. Patterson) (1926/)
Nessun Dorma from "Turandot" (arr. Rickard) (1926/1993)
O Mio Babbino Caro (arr. Balmages) (1918/2000)
O Mio Babbino Caro (arr. Vinson) (1918/2011)
O Mio Babbino Caro from "Gianni Schicchi" (arr. Kondo) (1918/2010)
O Mio Babbino Caro from "Gianni Schicchi" (arr. Kreines) (1918/)
Puccini's Arias Fantasy (arr. Yamazato) (2012)
Quando me’n vo (arr. McLain) (1896/2011)
Scenes from "La Bohème" (arr. Hanna) (1896/)
Scossa Elettrica (arr. King) (1896/2019)
Scossa Elettrica (arr. Yates) (1896/2001)
Te Deum (tr. de Meij) (1900/2010)
Tosca Fantasy (arr. Gee) (1900)
Tosca Fantasy (arr. Hermann) (1900/1972)
Turandot (arr. Goto) (1926/2007)
Two Scenes from "Tosca" (arr. Hanna) (1900/)
Un Bel Di (arr. Spaniola) (1904/1997)
Vogliatemi Bene from "Madama Butterfly" (arr. Odom) (1904/)
Witches' Sabbath, The (arr. de Meij) (1892/2010)

Resources

Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music. "Giacomo Puccini." Accessed 26 April 2015
Johan de Meij website Accessed 13 November 2019