ONE OF THE RARE COMPLETE SYMPHONIES WRITTEN FOR BAND BY VITTORIO GIANNINI IN 1958. STRONGLY TONAL AND ONE OF THE BEST PIECES FOR BAND. I-ALLEGRO ENERGICO, II-ADAGIO, III-ALLEGRETTO, IV-ALLEGRO CON BRIO. PERFORMED BY THE CAL POLY BAND, MY JUNIOR YEAR.
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Story behind the song
Year: 1958
Genre: Symphony
Pr. Instrument: Wind Ensemble
1.Allegro Energico
2.Adagio
3.Allegretto
4.Allegro Con Brio
Vittorio Giannini (1903-1966) was a respected composer when he was asked to compose a work for symphonic wind ensemble by Paul Bryan and the Duke University Band, through the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation. Giannini made the rare choice of composing a full-fledged symphony for band, a genre which was extremely rare then and not exactly flourishing widely since then. This work may still be counted as one of the most important symphonies in the band repertory.
It is a strongly tonal work, written along traditional symphony lines. The first movement is a sonata-allegro form, with some difficult off-rhythm figurations. Giannini was a melodic composer, and demonstrates the fact in his slow movement. The scherzo has an air of restraint, and the finale is carefree and impetuous.
According to the Oklahoma City University Program Notes Resource for Band Directors, Giannini had this to say about his Symphony No. 3:
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, Preludium 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.