Festive Music

Morton Gould's Festive Music for Orchestra. Study score.

Festive Music was commissioned by the Tri-City Symphony Orchestra, Charles Gigante, conductor, and Mrs. Richard vonMaur,manager, for the Orchestra's fiftieth anniversary. The composition was completed in December of 1964, and was first performed on Saturday, January 16, 1965, with Gould conducting the Tri-City Symphony Orchestra,inCentennial Hall on the campus of the Augustana College, Rock Island, III. Moline, III. and Davenport, Iowa are the two other cities of the triumverate.

The orchestral scoring incorperates an off-stage solo Trumpet partinrecognition of Bix Beiderbecke, one of the legendary jazz artists, who was born in Davenport.

The work is divided into three sections:

1. Fanfare (2 minutes)
2. Interlude (4 minutes)
3. Dance (5minutes)
Totalplaying time: 11 minutes approx.