Petite Symphony, Op. 90: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Frederick Fennell's arrangement opens Gounod's music to concert band without sacrificing its chamber-like intimacy. The scoring achieves genuine sophistication on a single-player-per-part basis, which means even smaller programs can program a work of real substance. The piece rewards careful attention to balance and phrase shaping in ways that elevate your entire ensemble's musicianship.

Elegant and forthright, with a transparent texture that allows every voice to be heard. The work unfolds with the grace of a French salon piece, full of subtle phrase turns and harmonic refinement that reveals itself through repeated listening.

Concert bands seeking a Grade 4 work with real musical depth and manageable instrumentation. This arrangement suits programs that prioritize artistic growth over technical display, making it ideal for advanced high school and college ensembles.

• Shape the long melodic lines with a singing, unforced approach. This symphony asks for phrase continuity rather than brilliance, so resist the temptation to push volume.
• Give the woodwind soloists space to breathe. The flute and oboe writing calls for dialogue and transparency, not blend into a homogeneous texture.
• Balance the contrabass part carefully; it anchors the harmony but should never overwhelm the lighter voices above it.
• Use Fennell's orchestration as a study in wind voicing. Notice how the arranger distributes material across the band to maintain clarity at every dynamic level.

Program this on a concert pairing French Romantic favorites, or use it to frame a set of masterwork arrangements that showcase your ensemble's ability to play with restraint and nuance. It works particularly well as a concert opener, setting a sophisticated tone before more ambitious works.

• Maintaining lyrical legato across phrase boundaries in wind writing
• Transparent balancing in multipart wind textures
• Responding to subtle dynamic and articulation markings
• Playing with restraint and chamber-like intimacy within a full ensemble