Vittorio Giannini(1903-66): a Catalogue of the Orchestral and Choral Music

[Dundonnell]

Giannini was but a name in reference books to me until a couple of years ago when Naxos released the coupling of his Fourth Symphony and the Piano Concerto. Since then I have been able to hear a number of his other compositions through downloads from this site Walter Simmons includes Giannini as one of six American composers discussed in his definitive "Voices in the Wilderness: Six American Neo-Romantic Composers"(Scarecrow Press, 2004). The others are Samuel Barber, Paul Creston, Nicolas Flagello,  Howard Hanson, and, a trifle controversially, Ernest Bloch. Simmons points out however that whereas Hanson, for example, was quite clearly a neo-romantic, Giannini, at least during the first half of his career, was an out-and-out old-fashioned romantic

Simmons also states that a complete catalogue of Giannini's music is impossible to compile because so much was unpublished, undated or lost. What follows therefore cannot be considered 'complete'.

VITTORIO GIANNINI: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL AND CHORAL MUSIC

1920:   Stabat Mater for soprano, contralto, tenor, bass, chorus and orchestra
1931:   Suite for orchestra
1933:   Cantata "La Primavera" for soloists, chorus and orchestra
1934:   Piano Concerto: 41 minutes   + (Naxos cd)
1935:   Symphony "In Memoriam Theodore Rossevelt": 37 minutes    *
1937:   Organ Concerto
             Triptych for soprano, choir and strings
             IBM Symphony: 11 minutes     *
             Requiem Mass for soprano, contralto, tenor, bass, choir and orchestra
1939:   Double Piano Concerto
1944:   Violin Concerto: 15 minutes
1946:   Trumpet Concerto
             Concerto Grosso for string orchestra: 15 minutes    + (Albany cd)
1948:   "Frescobaldiana" for orchestra
1950:   Symphony No.1 "Sinfonia"
1951:   "A Canticle of Christmas" for baritone, chorus and orchestra: 23 minutes
1953:   Divertimento No.1 for orchestra: 15 minutes    *
1955:   Symphony No.2: 21 minutes     *
             Prelude and Fugue for string orchestra: 10 minutes   +  (Albany cd)
1956:   "Canticle of the Martyrs" for baritone, chorus and orchestra: 15 minutes
1958:   Symphony No.3 for symphonic band: 23 minutes    +  (Mercury, Reference and Naxos cds)
             Suite "Love's Labour's Lost" for chamber orchestra
             Preludium and Allegro for symphonic band: 7 minutes      + (Naxos cd)
1959:   Symphony No.4: 23 minutes   +  (Naxos cd)
1960:   "The Medead" for soprano and orchestra
1961:   Divertimento No.2 for orchestra
1962:   "Antigone" for soprano and orchestra
1963:   Psalm CXXX for Double-Bass or Cello and Orchestra: 17 minutes  + (Mmc cd)
             Fantasia for Band
1964:   Divertimento No.3 for orchestra
             Dedication Overture for band: 7 minutes      +  (Naxos cd)
             Variations and Fugue for symphonic band: 14 minutes    +  (Naxos cd)
             Symphony No.5: 31 minutes     *