Marcia Sinfonica Antoniana -

Marcia Sinfonica Antoniana (likely referring to the work by Italian composer Fulvio Creux or, in a broader generic sense, to processional march-symphonies for St. Anthony’s Feast—most commonly associated with the Festa di Sant’Antonio in Padua or the Italian diaspora tradition). For the purpose of this paper, we will analyze the canonical concert band work by Fulvio Creux (1900–1969), a staple of the Italian and Swiss wind band repertoire.

Creux’s Antoniana was likely commissioned for one of these processions or a concorso bandistico (band competition). Its title explicitly links it to the saint, implying that musical themes are meant to evoke the piety, miracle-working, and eloquence of St. Anthony. marcia sinfonica antoniana

The Sacred and the Secular: An Analysis of the Form, Function, and Legacy of the Marcia Sinfonica Antoniana Marcia Sinfonica Antoniana (likely referring to the work

The Marcia Sinfonica Antoniana (Symphonic March of St. Anthony) occupies a unique niche in the wind band repertoire. Bridging the functional processional march and the autonomous concert overture, this work transcends mere street music. Composed by Fulvio Creux, a prolific composer for banda (wind band) in the early-to-mid 20th century, the piece embodies the quintessential Italian marcia sinfonica —a genre that elevates the march’s rhythmic foundation with operatic lyricism, harmonic expansion, and programmatic intent. This paper argues that the Marcia Sinfonica Antoniana functions simultaneously as a religious veneration, a display of band virtuosity, and a sophisticated musical narrative rooted in the trisagio (thrice-holy hymn) tradition. Creux’s Antoniana was likely commissioned for one of

Modulating to the subdominant key (e.g., from B-flat major to E-flat major), this section is the emotional heart. The texture thins to solo winds (often a euphonium or clarinet solo) accompanied by mallets (glockenspiel) representing the miracle of the saint. The harmonic rhythm slows, and the music becomes a arioso —a short, free melody. Creux often introduces a brief countermelody in the flutes, symbolizing angels.

Often a solemn, declamatory fanfare using the lower brass (trombones, euphoniums, bassi) in a chiamata (call) texture. This section establishes the Dorian or Mixolydian modality, evoking Gregorian chant. The percussion is limited (bass drum roll, cymbal crash), creating a sacred atmosphere before the march proper.

A unique feature of the Antoniana is the quotation or paraphrasing of the Trisagio (Greek: “Thrice Holy”) — Sanctus Deus, Sanctus Fortis, Sanctus Immortalis, miserere nobis . This is not sung but embedded in the brass choir as a chorale. This direct liturgical reference confirms the work’s sacred function, temporarily suspending the march rhythm for a moment of homophonic prayer.