Canzona per Sonare No. 1

Canzona per Sonare No. 1, “La Spiritata”

Giovanni Gabrieli (c. 1554/57? – 1612)

Saxophone Quartet, flexible scoring

Canzona per Sonare No. 1 by Giovanni Gabrieli, arranged for saxophone quartet (flexible scoring). Taken from an anthology published in 1608, Canzona per Sonare No. 1, is an instrumental piece modeled on the French vocal form known as the chanson (“canzona” in Italian). “La Spiritata,” provides a good example of the genre’s dancing rhythms, chordal texture and sectional structure. The changing meters and moods make this piece a challenge to perform successfully. It is taken from an anthology published in 1608. While it is frequently performed by brass ensembles and organists, it transfers well to the saxophone quartet format. This arrangement includes the following parts:

• Saxophone quartet score in C
• Part 1 – Soprano Saxophone or Alto Saxophone
• Part 2 – Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, or Tenor Saxophone
• Part 3 – Alto Saxophone or Tenor Saxophone
• Part 4 – Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, or Bass Saxophone

This arrangement may be played with any combination of saxophones so long as parts 1 through 4 are covered. The original work has no dynamics, expression, or tempo markings. All performance directions in the score are editorial. Please adapt them as needed to fit your performance.

Giovanni Gabrieli’s Canzona No. 1 was published as a part of a collection of canzonas which contained works by Gabrieli, Girolamo Frescobaldi and others. The musical form of a canzona was initially derived from the Franco-Flemish polyphonic song form, known as chanson. Canzonas would later influence the evolution of the fugue in the baroque era. Canzona No. 1 is one of the many canzonas Gabrieli composed throughout his lifetime. Frequently these pieces were intended to be performed by various combinations of instruments in the churches and cathedrals of Venice.

• The range for each saxophone part is shown below.
• Audio and score excerpts are available above.
• Registered users can download a complete sample score and full length audio file of Canzona per Sonare No. 1 on the ‘Samples’ tab.

About the Composer

Giovanni Gabrieli  (c.1554 to 1557 – August 12, 1612) was an Italian composer and organist of the late Renaissance-early Baroque era. He was one of the most influential musicians of his time, and represents the culmination of the Venetian School of composition, at the time of the shift from Renaissance to Baroque forms and styles.