Sinfonia für Bläser
Gaetano Donizetti, arr. Ben Tordoff
Composed:
1817 Arranged:
2023 Grouping:
sSSAATTBb Duration:
06:05
Donizetti is best known for his operas and other choral, vocal, and orchestral works, making his "Sinfonia for Winds" somewhat unique in his portfolio. Even though composed when he was still only 19 or 20 and yet to find operatic fame, it shows the style and humour he became known for. It opens with a grandiose, Handel-esque andante, before the sopranos lead into the jovial allegro.
A couple of us were lucky enough to play through this piece in 2023 at a saxophone day led by Andy Tweed and Karen Street. Since the arrangement doesn't seem to be readily available we present our own transcription of the original parts onto saxophones. The sopranino takes on the flute part, with sopranos doing their best oboe impression, altos as clarinets, tenors as horns, and baritone/bass having fun pretending to be bassoons.
Alternative parts are provided in case you don't have access to sopranino or bass.
© 2023 Ben Tordoff
If you enjoyed this piece, have comments or corrections, we'd love to hear from you.
This music is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Licence.