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Petite Symphonie (Gounod)

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Cover of the first edition

The Petite Symphonie in B-flat major is a four-movement work by Charles Gounod, first performed in 1885. It is scored for a wind ensemble of nine players.

Background and premiere

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Gounod had composed two symphonies for full orchestra in the 1850s but had since then generally concentrated on opera, songs, and religious music.[1] At the request of a Parisian wind ensemble, the Société de musique de chambre pour instruments à vent [fr], led by the flautist Paul Taffanel, he wrote a nonet for flute and pairs of oboes, clarinets, horns and bassoons. The work was first given at the Salle Pleyel in Paris on 30 April 1885.[2] The score was not published until 1904.[1]

Structure

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The work, which plays for about twenty minutes, is in four movements:[2]

  1. Adagio–Allegro
  2. Andante cantabile (quasi adagio) attacca
  3. Scherzo. Allegro moderato
  4. Finale. Allegretto

References

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  1. ^ a b Huebner, Steven. "Gounod, Charles-François", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, 2001. Retrieved 28 November 2019 (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b Stepphun, Diether (1983). Notes to Orfeo CD C 1051 831 A OCLC 808038163
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