Symphonic Orchestra Compositions:
Symphony No 1
by
Vito DiSalvo
edited by
Paul Silver
Download the Complete Score
Movement I
Adagio con
forza -
Moderato - Subito vivace
Movement II
Andante -
Allegretto
(Fuga) - Andante
(Valzer)
Allegro -
Maestoso -
Allegro
Agitato -
Allegro vivace
- Lento -
Allegro moderato - Grandioso - Allegro vivace furioso
I have spent my
life
playing, teaching, arranging, composing and producing
music starting with
learning the accordion at age four. Euphonium became
my major instrument
in college having started on baritone horn in the
fifth grade. I have
been on the business side of music as well; owning,
with my wife Lana, two
publishing companies and a record label/artist
management company. Other
than the summer after graduating from high school when
I worked as a laborer in
the open hearth of a steel mill, I have made my entire
living doing what I love
to do – music!
Typically, as one
moves on
in life, one has a bucket list. I had only one item
on my bucket list and
it was to compose my first symphony. I had composed
several symphonic
band pieces, arranged music for marching bands, jazz
bands, orchestras, and
choirs of all configurations and all levels; I’ve
composed music for film and
have orchestrated for several artists their complete
repertoires for full
orchestra; but other than one piece that I penned in
1981 for my high school
orchestra, until this symphony, I had not composed an
original piece for
orchestra. Composing this symphony then, I view, as a
culmination of a lifetime
of many, and quite varied, musical experiences.
In 2015 I set out
to
satisfy my bucket list item. However, as so often is
the case, life
got in the way. I have sketched many themes since
then but only one
would become relevant to this piece of music.
In March
2020,
my life, like everyone else’s, changed dramatically
with the appearance of the
Corona Virus.
I realized I
hadn’t had a schedule like this since I was a
child. No
performances, no tours, no traveling, no teaching, no
social life. So,
around April 1st, with the good graces and support of
my wife, I headed to my
studio to compose my symphony. Within days, I felt
like I was on a
freight train with no brakes. I found it difficult to
leave the
space and did so only to eat (I would never miss a
meal since food is my second
passion and my wife Lana is a great ‘Tuscan’ cook!)
and to sleep. I
spent twelve to fifteen hours each day composing,
orchestrating and recording
my piece with the help of two great libraries of
electronic orchestral sampled
sounds. By the end of the first week of June, I had
completed the
composition and recording. I then set out to edit the
printed score,
which took the next several months. With the help of
my editor, Paul
Silver, a highly experienced professional orchestral
musician, we put the
finishing touches on the score and parts.