Brass quintet upload: Schütz Sinfonia


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Posted by Klaus on February 20, 2003 at 19:10:59:

A brass quintet version (with optional soloists and continuo) of the Schütz Sinfonia from "Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz" has be uploaded. The format is .pdf. The file size is 291KB. It can be found at these addresses:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YorkMasterBBb/files/

or

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YorkMasterBBb/files/Sch%80%A0%A0%FCtz%207%20Worte%20Brass5%20score.pdf

The preface will be quoted at the end of this posting.

Enjoy!

Klaus

Sinfonia
from “Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz”
(Dresden 1645)
by Heinrich Schütz (1585 - 1672)
Arranged by Klaus Bjerre (2003) for the standard brass quintet (2 Bb trumpets, horn in F, trombone, bass tuba)
with optional solo duets of violins, flutes, oboes, or horns and an optional guitar continuo

This is the Sinfonia of a cantata. The original setting was for SATTB viols. Here these viol parts have been set for brass quintet. The original key of E minor concert has been kept. A setting for 5 horns in F has been made available at the same website as this setting. Settings for woodwind quintet and recorder ensemble are in the planning. All versions will be compatible for performances in larger mixed ensembles. When all versions are made available, church ensembles should be able to compile their own ad hoc, but well balanced, versions. Balance is a major consideration in the performance of music intended for the very homogeneous, yet very colourful, ensemble of viols.

This Sinfonia has a great beauty in its own right. However this arranger cannot avoid hearing improvisations and embel-lishments when working with music of this era. The solution has been to add an optional solo duet. This duet can be pairs of violins, flutes, or oboes. Mixed duets certainly would work beautifully, if the balance situation will be considered. An oboe on the first solo part and a flute on the second would not be a good idea. As wouldn’t a performance with one soloist only. Another potential solo pair might be two horns. A two part score for such solo horns is provided. The option of horn soloists can only be applied with two horn players. A horn entering a mixed soloists’ pair would be a bad idea. No type of quintet should sacrifice any of the original 5 parts for the sake of being able to cover the soloists’ parts. These latter ones of course could be considered embellishments of the original quintet, but not of two specific parts.

For the 5 brass quintet instruments no individual parts are provided, only a 2 page performance score. In accordance with the notation practise of this early renaissance era no dynamics or articulations are given. The performers should not misjudge this as an opportunity to play dull run-of-the-mill notes. The contrapuntal texture calls for a great mutual respect. Especially up-beat notes, wherever they may be placed in the bar, should be played detached, and an emphasis should be given to the following longer main notes. If this piece is performed as a quintet, the playing style should be less legato-tenuto, than when soloists are added. Dynamics should rather tend towards the softer shadings.

The guitar continuo part can be played from the notes in the staff or from the chord symbols. Attention should be paid to the avoidance of the lowest guitar note descending below the line of the tuba part.

Would this arranger protest a symphonic brass quintet performing this arrangement asking their harp colleague to perform the continuo part? Hardly! A modern grand piano as continuo instrument would constitute an overkill, whereas a well reading pianist might very well perform the solo voices from the oboe soloists’ score.

This arrangement can be used free of charge, but a postcard or an e-mail reporting on readings and performances would be nice.

A brass quintet version (with optional soloists and continuo) of the Schütz Sinfonia from "Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz" has be uploaded. The format is .pdf. The file size is 291KB. It can be found at these addresses:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YorkMasterBBb/files/

or

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YorkMasterBBb/files/Sch%80%A0%A0%FCtz%207%20Worte%20Brass5%20score.pdf

The preface will be quoted at the end of this posting.

Enjoy!

Klaus

Sinfonia
from “Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz”
(Dresden 1645)
by Heinrich Schütz (1585 - 1672)
Arranged by Klaus Bjerre (2003) for the standard brass quintet (2 Bb trumpets, horn in F, trombone, bass tuba)
with optional solo duets of violins, flutes, oboes, or horns and an optional guitar continuo

This is the Sinfonia of a cantata. The original setting was for SATTB viols. Here these viol parts have been set for brass quintet. The original key of E minor concert has been kept. A setting for 5 horns in F has been made available at the same website as this setting. Settings for woodwind quintet and recorder ensemble are in the planning. All versions will be compatible for performances in larger mixed ensembles. When all versions are made available, church ensembles should be able to compile their own ad hoc, but well balanced, versions. Balance is a major consideration in the performance of music intended for the very homogeneous, yet very colourful, ensemble of viols.

This Sinfonia has a great beauty in its own right. However this arranger cannot avoid hearing improvisations and embel-lishments when working with music of this era. The solution has been to add an optional solo duet. This duet can be pairs of violins, flutes, or oboes. Mixed duets certainly would work beautifully, if the balance situation will be considered. An oboe on the first solo part and a flute on the second would not be a good idea. As wouldn’t a performance with one soloist only. Another potential solo pair might be two horns. A two part score for such solo horns is provided. The option of horn soloists can only be applied with two horn players. A horn entering a mixed soloists’ pair would be a bad idea. No type of quintet should sacrifice any of the original 5 parts for the sake of being able to cover the soloists’ parts. These latter ones of course could be considered embellishments of the original quintet, but not of two specific parts.

For the 5 brass quintet instruments no individual parts are provided, only a 2 page performance score. In accordance with the notation practise of this early renaissance era no dynamics or articulations are given. The performers should not misjudge this as an opportunity to play dull run-of-the-mill notes. The contrapuntal texture calls for a great mutual respect. Especially up-beat notes, wherever they may be placed in the bar, should be played detached, and an emphasis should be given to the following longer main notes. If this piece is performed as a quintet, the playing style should be less legato-tenuto, than when soloists are added. Dynamics should rather tend towards the softer shadings.

The guitar continuo part can be played from the notes in the staff or from the chord symbols. Attention should be paid to the avoidance of the lowest guitar note descending below the line of the tuba part.

Would this arranger protest a symphonic brass quintet performing this arrangement asking their harp colleague to perform the continuo part? Hardly! A modern grand piano as continuo instrument would constitute an overkill, whereas a well reading pianist might very well perform the solo voices from the oboe soloists’ score.

This arrangement can be used free of charge, but a postcard or an e-mail reporting on readings and performances would be nice.




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