Product Description
Fermo Dante Marchetti, Italian songwriter, composed "Fascination" as a piano solo. It was first published in Hamburg and Paris in 1904. Subsequently, Maurice de Féraudy wrote words for the song, and in 1905 it was published again, this time with French lyrics. Some three decades later Dick Manning put English lyrics to the melody, and the result was published in 1932.
Through the years, a number of artists recorded "Fascination." But it was the 1957 release of Billy Wilders movie Love in the Afternoon that really boosted the songs popularity. In this film, international playboy and philanderer Frank Flanagan (played by Gary Cooper) successfully woos his romantic conquests as a four-piece musical group (which he calls "my Gypsies") plays in the background. One of the songs they play is "Fascination" (which is appropriate since Marchetti originally labeled his song "Valse Tzigane," i.e., Gypsy waltz). That same year Dinah Shore and Jane Morgan recorded "Fascination" as a vocal with Mannings lyrics, and both versions charted. Morgans rendition proved particularly popular.
This brass quintet version follows Marchettis original piano score fairly closely, making it a beautiful setting for this popular and romantic waltz song. All five instrumentalists get a chance to play melody. While the structure mirrors that of Marchetti, additions have been made, including a base line and some harmony parts. Time signature remains ¾ throughout, but there are quite a few tempo alterations. Beginning key signature is C major, changing to F major then back to C.
With respect to high and low notes:
Trumpet 1 has several A-above-its-staff notes throughout the piece
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Trumpets 1 and 2 both play an occasional A# below their staff and, at measures 187-188, an A, a B, and a C above their staff.
Horn in F plays A# and G# below its staff several times.
Trombones highest note is F above its staff.
Tubas highest note is one G near the top of its staff.
The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge; contact him directly at lessmith61@bellsouth.net. For more arrangements by Les, enter "Sweetwater Brass Press" (without the quotation marks) in the search box. (Also, purchase of this piece entitles you to your choice of another of his arrangements at no charge; send a copy of your purchase receipt directly to him at lessmith61@bellsouth.net.)
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.