Saltarello from 'Italian Symphony' (Brass Band) Mendelssohn arr. Phil Lawrence

This tour de force will be ideal for bands looking for a barnstorming finale to their concert. The 'Italian' was really Mendelssohn's 3rd Symphony at the time it was completed in 1833. The 'Italian' is certainly a youthful work, not in its technique, since it shows a perfect mastery of symphonic composition, but in its spirit. He had begun it two years earlier on a visit to Italy, where the vivid sights and sounds had impressed him immensely, just as the visit to Scotland had the year before. The atmosphere of Italy impelled him to translate his impressions into another symphony.The dazzling finale, the Saltarello, conjures up a picture of Italian peasants dancing frantically in a wild and whirling fashion, not unlike the tarantella.The arranger writes: 'It was noted by some players of the day that the orchestral parts were somewhat virtuosic for the time, and this virtuosic style inspired me to arrange this for brass band.'To view a follow-the-score video of the work featuring the Fairey Band please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvcuwwJQrR8PDF download includes score and parts.Sheet music available from:UK - www.brassband.co.ukUSA - www.solidbrassmusic.comDifficulty Level: 1st Section +Instrumentation:Soprano Cornet EbSolo Cornet BbRepiano Cornet Bb2nd Cornet Bb3rd Cornet BbFlugel Horn BbSolo Horn Eb1st Horn Eb2nd Horn Eb1st Baritone Bb2nd Baritone Bb1st Trombone Bb2nd Trombone BbBass TromboneEuphonium BbBass EbBass BbTimpani