Funiculi Funicula
Luigi Denza (arr. Alfred Reed)
General Info
Year: 1880 / 1994
Duration: c. 2:15
Difficulty: III-1/2 (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: C.L. Barnhouse Company
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $68.00 | Score Only (print) - $8.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion, including:
- Bass Drum
- Bells
- Chimes
- Crash Cymbals
- Snare Drum
- Tambourine
- Xylophone (3.5 octaves)
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
It's a very familiar and popular Neapolitan song of the 1880s arranged as a tarantella and set for the full resources of the modern concert band. It has the feel of a classic European concert march with tremendous appeal and a variety of performance uses.
- Program Note from publisher
The words to Funiculi Funicula were written by journalist Peppino Turco and set to music by Luigi Denza in 1880, for the opening of the first funicular railway on Mt. Vesuvius. Although the song was composed in only a few hours, it has remained popular for over a century. Richard Strauss later included the tune in the fourth movement of his orchestral tone poem, Aus Italien, believing it to be a popular Neapolitan folk tune.
- Program Note by Edward C. Harris for the San Jose Wind Symphony concert program, 17 May 2015
Media
- Audio: Reference recording. The Washington Winds (Edward S. Petersen, conductor)
- Audio CD: Tachibana High School Brass Band – 2015
- Audio CD: Senzoku Gakuen Symphonic Wind Orchestra (Alfred Reed, conductor) – 1998
- Audio CD: The Washington Winds (Edward S. Petersen, conductor) – 1995
State Ratings
- Kansas: IV
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- University of Louisville (Ky.) Community Band (Jason Cumberledge, conductor) - 12 May 2023
- Golden Gate Park Band (San Francisco, Calif.) (German Gonzalez, conductor) - 14 May 2023
- University of Louisville (Ky.) Community Band (Jason Cumberledge, conductor) - 17 April 2023
- New Orleans (La.) Concert Band (Charles Taylor, conductor) - 26 March 2023
- Limestone University (Gaffney, S.C.) Wind Ensemble (Seth Taft, conductor) - 10 November 2022
- American River College (Sacramento, Calif.) Symphonic Band (Anthony Marvelli, conductor) - 7 December 2021
- University of Georgia (Athens) Hodgson Wind Ensemble (Cynthia Johnston Turner, conductor) – 14 February 2019
- Kokomo (Ind.) Park Band (Stephen Pratt, conductor) – 20 June 2018
- Allan Hancock College (Santa Maria, Calif.) Concert Band (Greg Stoll, conductor) – 12 May 2018
- San Jose (Calif.) Wind Symphony (Edward C. Harris, conductor) – 17 May 2015
- Illinois Association of Christian Schools Master Band (Dan Turner, conductor) – 14 November 2014
- Grande Banda Rappresentativa Della Federazione Dei Corpi Bandistici (Trento, Ital.) (Marco Bassoli, conductor) – 18 December 1998 (1998 Midwest Clinic)
- VanderCook College of Music (Chicago, Ill.) Symphonic Band (Alfred Reed, conductor) – 23 December 1994 (1994 Midwest Clinic)
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Funiculi Funicula (arr. Krauschaar (as Roberts); arr. Laurendeau ) (1880/1911)
- Funiculi Funicula (arr. Lang) (1880/1947)
- Funiculi Funicula (arr. Reed) (1880/1994)
- Funiculi Funicula Rhapsody (arr. Goto) (1880/2001)
- Jammo
- Merry Life March, A
Resources
- Denza, L.; Reed, A. (1994). Funiculì Funiculà [score]. C.L. Barnhouse Co.: Oskaloosa, Iowa.
- Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music. "Luigi Denza." Accessed 19 May 2015
- Perusal score