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The Certamen International de Bandas de Música "Ciudad de Valencia" is an annual competition for concert bands held in July. It is sponsored by the provincial government and includes prizes up to about $12,000 for the first prize in the top category. The competition has been going on for over one-hundred years. The first Certamen was held in 1886 to help celebrate the July Fair of Valencia. During the first years the bands were in two categories: one category for Military bands where these were "exhibition bands" and considered professional bands so there were no prizes awarded in this category. The second category was for "civil bands" where there were prizes. The prize that year went to the Sociedad Musical La Primativa de Carlet when Joaquin Guillomina directed the band in a transcription of William Tell by Rossini. It used to be that many of the competing bands would only play pasodobles and Zarzuelas, but as the competition became more pronounced between the bands, the literature became more and more profound and technically challenging. It is now not uncommon to hear transcriptions of Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" in these competition. In 1997 the three competing bands in the top category played Bela Bartok's "Concerto for Orchestra", Bartok's "Miraculous Manderin" and Gustav Mahler's "Symphony No. 1". There are five sections of competition, selected by size of band. The highest section "Sección de Honor" includes bands up to one-hundred sixty performers. In each of the five sections there is an obligatory composition that is sometimes commissioned especially for the Certamen. Many of these pieces are included in this research. Each band also has a "Obre libre" a piece of their own choice. Is is a tradition that during the last two nights of the competition, that the bands also play a pasodoble. The last two nights are held out of doors in the "Plaza de Toros" (the bullring of Valencia) where the earlier competitions are held in the Palau de la Musica, which is the formal concert hall in Valencia. In past years the band societies of Valencia would encourage the band to compete almost every year. It is now common for the most active bands to compete about every three years. This is because the repertoire for competition has become so difficult and the preparation as become much more time consuming. It is common for a band to start preparation for the July Certamen in February. A common rehearsal schedule would be for the band to rehearse four nights a weeks from February until the middle May. From about the middle of May until July there would be a rehearsal every night. Extra rehearsals for sectionals are very common. It is not common to have an assistant conductor to help with rehearsals, so the conductor from February until the Certamen in the middle of July is very busy. |
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In 2000 there were twenty-eight one bands competing. To give an example of the caliber of this competition, the bands of 2000 with the competing works are listed below. |
by Salvador Giner Unión Musical Santa Cecilia de Landete (Cuenca, Spain)
Obra libre: Armenian Dances - Alfred Reed
Complesso Bandistico "G. Verdi" de Aci S. Antonio (Ct). Italy
Obra libre: "La Forza del Destino" Verdi (arr. Cesaromo)
Sociedad Musical "Santa Mº Magdalena" de Novelda (Alicante, Spain)
Obra Libre: "El Camino-Real" Alfred Reed
Sociedad Unión Musical "Virgen de Gracia" de Chella (Valencia, Spain)
Obra Libre: "Reminiscencia Gitano" André Waignein
Ateneo Instructivo Musical Giner de Llaurí (Valencia, Spain)
Obra libre: "Orpheus Overture" Offenbach
Sociedad Artistica y Cultural Unión Musical de Benetusser (Valencia, Spain)
Obra Libre: The Planets - Holst (arr. Smith)
Mvt. 1 - Mars
Mvt. 4 - Jupiter
Sociedad Musical "Giuseppe Verdi" de Ciudad de Biella (Italy)
Obra libre: "The Year of the Dragon" Sparke
Sociedad Unión Musical de Massarrojos (Valencia, Spain)
Obra Libre: "Praise Jerrusalem" Alfred Reed
Banda de la Academis de Música "Euterpe" Canicattini Bagni (Italy)
Obra libre: "Gullimaufry" Guy Woolfenden
Körösparti Fúvósegyüttes, Bekescsaba (Hungary)
Obra libre: "Suite" Hidas Frygies
Ateneo Musical "La Lira" de Corbera (Valencia, Spain)
Obra libre: "La Sombra del Cruzado" de Ferrer Ferran
Unión Musical de Petrer (Alicante, Spain)
Obra libre: "Jerico" Morton Gould
Banda de Música de Almaty (Republic of Kazakstan)
Obra libre: "Idee Fixe" on the monogram A.C.H.M.E.D. - Adil Bestybaev
Banda Sinfónica de la Unión Artistisca Musical de Montroy (Valencia, Spain)
Obra libre: "Belkis, Regina de Saba" 1 Suite - Respighi
Agrupación Musical do Rosal (Pontevedra)
Obra libre: Symphony #2 - John Barnes Chance
Centro Musical Paternense, de Paterna (Valencia, Spain)
Obra libre: "Lochinvar" James Curnow
Agrupació Filharmonica Borrianenca, de Borriana (Castellón, Spain)
Obra libre: "Symphonie" de Ida Gotkovsky
1. Lento
2. Finale
Centro Instructive de Arte y Cultura de Vall D'Uixó (Castellón, Spain)
Obra libre: "Homenaje a J. Sorolla" Bernardo Adam Ferrero
Banda Sinfónica de la Universidad de Kanagawa (Japan)
Obra libre: "The Pines of Rome" Respighi (trans. Duker)
Sociedad Musical "La Primativa Setabense" Xátiva (Valencia, Spain)
Obra libre: "Symphonic Metamorphosis" - Hindemith
Banda de Música Miraflores-Gibraljaire de la Sociedad Cultural Musical
"Nuestra Señora de los Angeles" Malaga, Spain)
Obra libre: "The Firebird Suite" - Stravinsky
Sociedad Musical "Santa Cecilia" de Requena (Valencia, Spain)
Obra libre: Symphony #4 - G. Mahler
Mvt. 4
Sociedad Musical "Santa Cecilia" de Alcacer (Valencia, Spain)
Obra libre: "Belkis, Regina de Saba" Suite 1 - Respighi (trans. Sanjajaime)
Societat Instructiva Unió Musical de Tavernes de la Valldigna (Valencia, Spain)
Obra libre: Symphony #11 - D. Shostakovich (trans. Moreno)
Allegro
Adagio
Allegro Final
Banda Sinfónica de la Societat Musical D'Alzira (Valencia, Spain)
Obra libre: "Raices" Musica para un aniversario - Juan J. Colomer
1. Sin Compás - Moderato-Vivo
2. Adagio
3. Presto
Unió Musical de Lliria (Valencia, Spain)
Obra libre: "The Maraculous Mandarin" B. Bartok
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In 1997 there were forty one bands competing. The bands of 1997 with the competing works are listed below. |
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Unión Musical de Valladares, Valladares (Vigo) Obra libre: Caprichio Español by Rimsky-Korsakov Lungegaarden Musikkorps de Bergen (Norway) Obra libre: Overture to a New Age by Jan de Haan Associació Musical "El Verger" de Verger (Alicante, Spain) Obra libre: Boris Godunof by Modest Moussorgsky Ateneu Musical Sdad. Cultural de Albalat de la Ribera (Valencia, Spain) Obra libre: Fourth Symphony by Alfred Reed Centre Artistic Cultural "Verge de la Pau" de Agost (Alicante, Spain) Obra libre: The Year of the Dragon by Phillip Spark Sociedad Musical "La Esperanza" de San Vicente del Raspeig (Alicante, Spain) Obra libre: Pushing the Limits by Hardy Mertens Sociedad Musical "La Paz" de Siete Aguas (Valencia, Spain) Obra libre: Robin Hood by Michael Kamen Societe Musical Harmoni de Digoin (France) Obra libre: Les Papillons by Coby Lankester Asociación Musical Moteña - Mota del Cuervo (Cuenca, Spain) Obra libre: Sinfonía Sevillana by Joaquín Turina Special Guest Band (not in competition) Brass Band Uri (Switzerland) program: Confections for Brass by Goff Richards Trumpet Blues and Cantable by James & J. Mathias The Scarecrow and Mrs. King by Rubinstein Teddy Bears Picnic by W. Bratton La Haute Sur la Montagne Swiss traditional Alphorn-Solo by Alan Fernie Sheperdess of the Alps by Rossini Kraken by Chis Hazel River Dance by Bill Wihelan Granada by Agustín |
Pecsi Vasutas Koncert Fuvoszenekara (Hungary) Obra libre: A Last Message from Maestro Tschaikowsky by Kamilló Lendvay Sociedad Unión Artística Musical de Onteniente (Valencia, Spain) Obra libre: The Year of the Dragon by Philip Sparke Ateno Musical "Schola Cantorum" de Vall d'Uxo (Castellón, Spain) Obra libre: Belkis, La Reina de Saba by Ottorino Respighi Sociedad Unión Musical Artística de Sax (Alicante, Spain) Obra libre: Prise Jerusalem by Alfred Reed Special Guest Band (not competing) Unidad de Música del Cuartel General de la Fuerza de Maniobra, Valencia program Marcha Lorenesa by Louis Ganne El Petit Adolfin by Amando Blanquer 3 Zapfenstreiche by Ludwig Van Beethoven Introducción y Marcha by Miguel Asins Arbó Valencia, canta! by Jose Serrano Vals para Trombón by E. Löffler Libre Salvador González Agrupación Musical "La Amistad" de Quart de Poblet (Valencia, Spain) Obra libre: El Pavo Real by Zoltan Kodaly Unión Musical Utielana de Utiel (Valencia, Spain) Obra libre: Suite Hebraica transcribed by Miguel Gonzales Banda Municipal "Manuel de Falla" de Alcorcón (Madrid, Spain) Obra libre: Sinfonía Brevis by Zdenek Lukás Unión Musical de Carlet (Valencia, Spain) Obra libre: Roman Festival by Ottorino Respighi Banda Primativa de Paiporta (Valencia, Spain) Obra libre: Homenaje a Joaquín Sorolla by Bernardo Adam Ferrero Special Guest Band (not competing) Banda de la Real Fuerza Aérea (Holland) program: Oktagon by J. Pommer Prelude Fugue and Riffs by L. Bernstein Royal Garden Blues arranged by R. Pronk Flight of the Bumble Bee arranged by Waarsenburg Fiesta arranged by J. Pommer |
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Banda Sinfónica Unión Musical de Lliria (Valencia, Spain) Obra libre: Concerto for Orchestra Mvt 3, 4, & 5 by Bela Bartok Unión Musical de Torrente (Valencia, Spain) Obra libre: The Miraculous Manderin by Bela Bartok Sociedad Musical Instructiva "Santa Cecilia" de Cullera (Valencia, Spain) Obra libre: Symphony Nº 1 Mvt 4 by Gustav Mahler |