The topic for this writing will be the overture of Guiseppe Verdi’s ​La Forza del destino​.

The two groups performing with be an orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti and US Air Force

band conducted by Larry H. Lang. Lawrence Odom created the transcription for the wind band.

The piece was originally the overture of an opera by the same name.

The piece’s introduction is similar to a dance, taking syncopated rhythms. Most of the

beginning motifs are either held in small ensembles or with many instruments playing ostinatos.

The piece does have its intense moments with the ensemble playing heavy accents in unison, but

those are the exception to the theme Verdi provides; a full section either caps off a major section

or is gradually built off of the calm starting motif. Most of these more intimate sections are done

by some kind of combination of softer winds, such as the oboe, clarinet, and french horn. After

doing this a few times there is a sudden rush towards the end. This coda is highlighted by a

unison trombone soli that cuts through the orchestra right before the piece ends. One major

challenge of the piece is the constantly shifting quality due to the thematic nature; this overture is

more a collection of themes that appear within the opera it is based on, rather than its own

distinct work.

The most major difference comes from the establishments of the theme. By having

strings, the orchestra can make a huge difference when it comes to differentiating more intense

sections. A good example would be the second statement of the first theme (1:38 orchestra; 1:57

band) In the orchestra part, some woodwinds, particularly flute, state the theme. This naturally

progresses to the second statement where the strings play the exact same theme. However, the

wind band version simply adds more winds with the timbre, which doesn’t really change all that

much.
 Overall, both versions are great, but it is clear that Verdi had some clear intent in terms of

orchestration. I understand that wind band transcriptions have their challenges. In this situation,

the wind band could not keep up with the more diverse timbres that the orchestra had. It inspires

me to a certain extent. I pose the opposite question to my analysis today. What kind of piece can

a wind band portray that an orchestra cannot emulate without losing a few qualities? Perhaps one

day, I shall tackle the tricky orchestration of wind band with an original piece and utilize the

wind band to its fullest potential.