SALVANEL

First Prize (Second Category) at the VIII International Band Composition Competition "La Prime Lus" - Bertiolo (UD). Commissioned by the Social Band of Cavalese (TN). In the woods of Val di Fiemme in Trentino (Italy) lives a small and funny elf called Salvanel. It often happens that this strange character plays tricks on the men who venture into the forest and mocks them for no reason, but to see Salvanel truly angry, you have to pick a flower, break a branch, or disturb his beloved woods in any other way. This legend refers to the mischievous and combative spirit of the elf, who is willing to do anything to defend his forest. The inhabitants of Val di Fiemme, who knew the character of the little man well, never dared to venture into his territory until it was truly necessary. Around 1750, the timber trade was very profitable and widespread. The woodcutters sold wood to the Venetians, but the Austrian government, wanting to secure a monopoly on trade in the area, decided to station soldiers at the passes, thus leaving the valley isolated. To break out of isolation and get a fair price for their wood, the villagers had to find a new road. So the woodcutters invaded the forest and began to fell trees one after the other. Salvanel was crazy with anger and stomped his feet, promising revenge. And so, after a few days, the elf filled a bucket with resin and, while the loggers worked, he smeared the manes and tails of their horses, leaving them stuck together to neigh and thrash around like mad. It was a long job for the woodcutters to free them. But Salvanel was lurking again and soon repeated the trick. The same thing happened countless times, and the organized shifts the men organized to watch over the horses were of no use. Despite this, the woodcutters remained in the forest and completed their work: Val di Fiemme was connected to Valsugana. It is said that now Salvanel has taken refuge in the depths of the forest and is rarely seen, but perhaps he is still plotting revenge.