L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano I n I t a l y , b r a s s a n d wind bands – known as bande musicali – a r e e v e r y w h e r e : t h e y p e r f o r m i n town squares, lead religious p r o c e s s i o n s , t r a i n l o c a l y o u t h , a n d p r e s e r v e c e n - turies of musical tradition. Still today, they are a central feature of social life in many villages, and their history is strictly connected to that of Italy as a nation. In the early 19th centu- ry, as Italy moved toward unification, many military regiments had wind ensem- bles used to boost morale and accompany parades or military funerals; over time, civilian communities began t o e s t a b l i s h t h e i r o w n bands, often supported by t h e t o w n h a l l o r l o c a l parishes. They were com- posed primarily of brass, woodwinds, and percussion, and would perform in public squares, at festivals, and on feast days, offering a musi- cal backdrop to their com- m u n i t y ' s m o s t s p e c i a l moments. One of the most impor- t a n t f u n c t i o n s o f b a n d e musicali was bringing music to people who might never h a v e e n t e r e d a n o p e r a house or concert hall: in a country where opera was the national soundtrack, band performances offered townspeople the chance to hear familiar melodies from Verdi, Puccini, or Mascagni without having to pay the steep price of a theater tick- et. In an age before radio, t e l e v i s i o n , o r r e c o r d e d music, the town band was, basically, a living jukebox a n d a n e s s e n t i a l f o r m o f cultural access. R e l i g i o u s a n d c i v i c rituals leaned heavily on the banda tradition, too, and no Easter procession or local saint's feast day was c o m p l e t e w i t h o u t a b a n d l e a d i n g t h e w a y . D u r i n g Holy Week, they often per- f o r m e d s l o w , s o r r o w f u l funeral marches that shaped the emotional tone of the procession, but the same b a n d e c o u l d a c c o m p a n y weddings, funerals, military anniversaries, and political r a l l i e s , a d j u s t i n g t h e i r repertoire depending on the context. It is also important to mention that, in a time when many Italians lacked f o r m a l s c h o o l i n g , b a n d e musicali also became sites o f e d u c a t i o n , a s t h e y offered structured training in music theory, sight-read- ing, and ensemble playing. I n s o m e t o w n s , t h e b a n d w a s a s i m p o r t a n t a s t h e school or church because it gave discipline, a sense of community, and the possi- bility of traveling to festivals or contests. For young peo- ple from farming or work- ing-class families, playing the clarinet or cornet in a b a n d a w a s o f t e n t h e o n e artistic outlet in a life other- wise dominated by manual labor. It is for all these reasons that bande themselves often b e c a m e l o c a l i n s t i t u - tions: uniforms were tai- lored and worn with pride; conductors were respected figures, sometimes school- t e a c h e r s o r s e m i - p r o f e s - sional musicians who also directed choirs or taught solfeggio; rehearsals were frequent, especially in the weeks leading up to major e v e n t s . S o m e t o w n s s u p - ported more than one band, giving rise to friendly rivalry and regular competition. Over time, the structure of the bands became more formalized and, in the early 20th century, composer and c o n d u c t o r A l e s s a n d r o V e s s e l l a d e v e l o p e d a m o d e l f o r I t a l i a n w i n d bands, including classifica- tions based on size and sug- g e s t e d i n s t r u m e n t a t i o n , which allowed even small towns to build ensembles c a p a b l e o f p e r f o r m i n g increasingly complex reper- toire. Bands also began to include a broader range of woodwinds, like flutes, clar- i n e t s , s a x o p h o n e s , a n d a more balanced brass sec- tion, enabling richer har- monic textures and more dynamic performance. In the post-war period, band c o m p e t i t i o n s b e c a m e widespread: events such as the Flicorno d'Oro in Riva del Garda and the Bacchetta d'Oro offered bande from across Italy the opportunity to compete, exchange ideas, and hear new compositions while raising the technical bar and introducing interna- tional repertoire into the Italian tradition. Today, regional diversity continues to define the tra- dition. In southern Italy, especially in Puglia, Campa- n i a , a n d S i c i l y , t r a v e l i n g bands known as bande da g i r o m o v e f r o m t o w n t o town during festival season, and perform on elaborate portable bandstands called c a s s e a r m o n i c h e , s o m e - times accompanying travel- ing opera troupes or staging o p e n - a i r c o n c e r t s o f f u l l o p e r a t i c p r o g r a m s u s i n g only brass and winds. The skill of these players is for- m i d a b l e , a n d t h e i r endurance legendary: they were known, in times gone by, to perform multiple sets per day in the sweltering s u m m e r h e a t , a l l f r o m memory. Sicily is, perhaps, the region with the deeper connection with the banda tradition, and some local ensembles managed to cre- ate an interesting fusion of musical styles. In the late 1990s, for example, a group c a l l e d B a n d a I o n i c a emerged, bringing together traditional funeral marches w i t h j a z z a n d u r b a n rhythms, and revitalizing interest in the genre among younger audiences. Other Sicilian towns, like Avola, maintain bands with histo- ries going back nearly two centuries, preserving both musical repertoire and com- munity heritage. Italy's military bands also play a role in sustaining the tradition at a profes- sional level, as in the case of t h e N a v y B a n d ( B a n d a Musicale della Marina M i l i t a r e ) – a m o n g t h e best-known – which per- forms across Europe with a versatile repertoire ranging from classical symphonic w o r k s t o m o d e r n f i l m scores. Military bands are, however, at a more profes- sional level and display the type of standards and musi- cal excellence that commu- nity bands often aspire to emulate. I n t o d a y ' s I t a l y , t h e banda remains one of the m o s t a c c e s s i b l e f o r m s o f l i v e m u s i c . I t m a y b e accompanying a small-town procession, or performing in a lakeside park, or com- peting on a national stage: never mind where they are, bande always bring people together while upholding a form of music that is partic- ipatory, rooted in place, and entirely connected to the everyday life of towns and cities. Italy's town bands: a tradition that never misses a beat LUCA SIGNORINI A band during a medieval reenactment (Photo: Radu Razvan Gheorghe/Dreamstime) LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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