The Certamen International of Valencia
The Certamen International de Bandas de Música "Ciudad de Valencia" is an annual competition for concert bands held in July.
It is sponsored by the provincial government and includes prizes up to about $12,000 for the first prize in the top category.
The competition has been going on for over one-hundred years. The first Certamen was held in 1886 to help celebrate the July Fair of Valencia. During the first years the bands were in two categories: one category for Military bands where these were "exhibition bands" and considered professional bands so there were no prizes awarded in this category. The second category was for "civil bands" where there were prizes. The prize that year went to the Sociedad Musical La Primativa de Carlet when Joaquin Guillomina directed the band in a transcription of William Tell by Rossini.
It used to be that many of the competing bands would only play pasodobles and Zarzuelas, but as the competition became more pronounced between the bands, the literature became more and more profound and technically challenging. It is now not uncommon to hear transcriptions of Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" in these competition. In 1997 the three competing bands in the top category played Bela Bartok's "Concerto for Orchestra", Bartok's "Miraculous Manderin" and Gustav Mahler's "Symphony No. 1".
There are five sections of competition, selected by size of band. The highest section "Sección de Honor" includes bands up to one-hundred sixty performers. In each of the five sections there is an obligatory composition that is sometimes commissioned especially for the Certamen. Many of these pieces are included in this research. Each band also has a "Obre libre" a piece of their own choice. Is is a tradition that during the last two nights of the competition, that the bands also play a pasodoble. The last two nights are held out of doors in the "Plaza de Toros" (the bullring of Valencia) where the earlier competitions are held in the Palau de la Musica, which is the formal concert hall in Valencia.
In past years the band societies of Valencia would encourage the band to compete almost every year. It is now common for the most active bands to compete about every three years. This is because the repertoire for competition has become so difficult and the preparation as become much more time consuming.
It is common for a band to start preparation for the July Certamen in February. A common rehearsal schedule would be for the band to rehearse four nights a weeks from February until the middle May. From about the middle of May until July there would be a rehearsal every night. Extra rehearsals for sectionals are very common. It is not common to have an assistant conductor to help with rehearsals, so the conductor from February until the Certamen in the middle of July is very busy.
