Bach's Air set for Brass Quartet - free download
Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 7:25 pm
Johann Sebastian Bach
Air from Suite #3 for Orchestra
Arranged for brass quartet by Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre 2013
One of the best pieces in the brass band repertory of my youth was Dr. Denis Wright’s arrangement of Bach’s famous Air from his Suite #3 for orchestra. The stroke of genius in that arrangement was the choice of key, Bb major over the original D major, with the melody line taken down a 10th and given to the full section of 3 Eb alto horns supplemented by the flugelhorn and partially also by the 1st baritone. In some performances I on baritone joined in on the melody all the way. A great experience as this wonderful tune fits the baritone and the euphonium very well in the key of Bb major.
Since then I worked quite a bit with baroque music in other contexts and combined with my recent interest for the 14-piece brass ensemble I recently made a version for that format.
Bach’s score only has four staves. The 1st violin carries the famous tune, whereas the 2nd violin and the viola provide sustained notes as well as counterpoint motives. The bass line moves in contrasting small steps and wide leaps over a 2 octaves+ range.
This fits with another idea by Dr. Denis Wright. He preferred a brass quartet of Bb cornet, Eb horn, Bb baritone, and euphonium over the traditional brass band style quartet of 2 Bb cornets, Eb horn, and euphonium. However his 3 books of repertory for the brass quartet were constructed to be very flexible and they accommodated several permutations of 4 or more brasses.
This arrangement for brass quartet of Bach’s Air was made in the spirit of Dr. Denis Wright’s quartet editions. It consists of 3 fully compatible quartet scores.
Quartet for 2 Bb cornets, Eb horn (the soloist), and euphonium (the traditional brass band quartet) – has a trombone part as alternative for the 2nd cornet. Also an alternative euphonium part in bass clef.
Quartet for Bb cornet, Eb horn, Bb baritone (the soloist), and Eb tuba reflects one of Dr. Denis Wright’s permutations – has an alternative bass clef solo part for euphonium.
Quartet for Bb trumpet, 2 F horns (one of them the soloist), and bass tuba rather reflects the brasses of orchestras or wind bands. Has an alternative trombone part for the tutti (non-soloist) horn.
With their parts these gives you the following options for your own quartet:
The top stave, the original 2nd violin part, may be played by Bb cornet, Bb trumpet, or Bb flugelhorn.
The second stave, the original viola part, may be played by Bb cornet, Bb trumpet, Bb flugelhorn, F horn, Eb horn, or trombone.
The third stave, the original 1st violin part, may be played by F horn, Eb horn, Bb baritone or euphonium.
The fourth stave, the original bass line, may be played by euphonium, bass tuba, or Eb tuba. There also is a folder with 4 alternative contrabass tuba parts, where there are treble clef versions for the BBb tuba.
One weak point of the brass quartet version is about stamina. There is an optional guitar part providing the chords from the implied original thoroughbass. The guitar will help the pulse. And then the form obviously is AABB, which allows for planned cuts.
Korsør - September 16th - 2013
Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre Bassbone Music
Johann Sebastian Bach - Air from Suite #3 - Brass quartet - 3 scores with alternative parts allow for several permutations of 4 brasses with optional guitar:
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/York ... 0Brass4tet
Air from Suite #3 for Orchestra
Arranged for brass quartet by Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre 2013
One of the best pieces in the brass band repertory of my youth was Dr. Denis Wright’s arrangement of Bach’s famous Air from his Suite #3 for orchestra. The stroke of genius in that arrangement was the choice of key, Bb major over the original D major, with the melody line taken down a 10th and given to the full section of 3 Eb alto horns supplemented by the flugelhorn and partially also by the 1st baritone. In some performances I on baritone joined in on the melody all the way. A great experience as this wonderful tune fits the baritone and the euphonium very well in the key of Bb major.
Since then I worked quite a bit with baroque music in other contexts and combined with my recent interest for the 14-piece brass ensemble I recently made a version for that format.
Bach’s score only has four staves. The 1st violin carries the famous tune, whereas the 2nd violin and the viola provide sustained notes as well as counterpoint motives. The bass line moves in contrasting small steps and wide leaps over a 2 octaves+ range.
This fits with another idea by Dr. Denis Wright. He preferred a brass quartet of Bb cornet, Eb horn, Bb baritone, and euphonium over the traditional brass band style quartet of 2 Bb cornets, Eb horn, and euphonium. However his 3 books of repertory for the brass quartet were constructed to be very flexible and they accommodated several permutations of 4 or more brasses.
This arrangement for brass quartet of Bach’s Air was made in the spirit of Dr. Denis Wright’s quartet editions. It consists of 3 fully compatible quartet scores.
Quartet for 2 Bb cornets, Eb horn (the soloist), and euphonium (the traditional brass band quartet) – has a trombone part as alternative for the 2nd cornet. Also an alternative euphonium part in bass clef.
Quartet for Bb cornet, Eb horn, Bb baritone (the soloist), and Eb tuba reflects one of Dr. Denis Wright’s permutations – has an alternative bass clef solo part for euphonium.
Quartet for Bb trumpet, 2 F horns (one of them the soloist), and bass tuba rather reflects the brasses of orchestras or wind bands. Has an alternative trombone part for the tutti (non-soloist) horn.
With their parts these gives you the following options for your own quartet:
The top stave, the original 2nd violin part, may be played by Bb cornet, Bb trumpet, or Bb flugelhorn.
The second stave, the original viola part, may be played by Bb cornet, Bb trumpet, Bb flugelhorn, F horn, Eb horn, or trombone.
The third stave, the original 1st violin part, may be played by F horn, Eb horn, Bb baritone or euphonium.
The fourth stave, the original bass line, may be played by euphonium, bass tuba, or Eb tuba. There also is a folder with 4 alternative contrabass tuba parts, where there are treble clef versions for the BBb tuba.
One weak point of the brass quartet version is about stamina. There is an optional guitar part providing the chords from the implied original thoroughbass. The guitar will help the pulse. And then the form obviously is AABB, which allows for planned cuts.
Korsør - September 16th - 2013
Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre Bassbone Music
Johann Sebastian Bach - Air from Suite #3 - Brass quartet - 3 scores with alternative parts allow for several permutations of 4 brasses with optional guitar:
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/York ... 0Brass4tet