Which Holst #2 for Quintet?

[Z-Tuba Dude]

I think the last attempt at this poll was flawed, so let me try again....

I am curious about the the Nowak, and Sabourin arrangements of Holst's 2nd Suite, for brass quintet; Which do YOU prefer?

[Chuck(G)]

I guess I'm wondering why would one even bother.

Both suites for military band take advantage of the range of voicing and size of a concert band. Reducing something like these to quintet leads to an interesting, but thin rendition.

It's like taking a Carmen Dragon orchestration and reducing it for flute quartet. You can preserve most of the melodic line, but the sense that there's something really missing really dominates the result.

[Z-Tuba Dude]

I would have thought so too, but I have played one of the arrangements of the Second Suite, which was not too bad.

In thinking about it, it seems to me that the First Suite in Eb, and the Second Suite in F, are really two VERY different pieces of music, in many ways.

The First Suite is a "through composed" work, with thematic material (or derivations, thereof) shared by all three movements, making it more of a "symphony", than a suite, in it's conception.

The Second Suite is really just that, a suite of essentially unrelated movements. Much of the Second Suite for Band is scored in such a way as to pay homage to it's brass band roots, and as such, I think it translates fairly well into the quintet medium.

I can't imagine saying the same for the First Suite, however. It relies much more heavily on its diverse tone colors, and large forces, to make it's point. I just don't think that a quintet can emulate those tonal, and dramatic qualities (but, maybe that is just due to my lack of imagination!).

Anyway, I am still curious about the "other" arrangement of the Second Suite, and hope there are enough people out there who know both, to help me figure out which would be best to order.

[Chuck(G)]

If you like the Second Suite for Military Band, what might work better for BQ is a transcription of the St. Paul's Suite. It shares the Dargason-based final movement with the Second Suite, but is more of a unified whole. And it can be performed very nicely by a string quartet, so it should present fewer voicing issues with a BQ setting.

What do you think?

[Z-Tuba Dude]

That's a great idea! I will check it out, it has been a while since I have heard it, but I think that the St. Paul's Suite could make a very nice brass quintet!

[Z-Tuba Dude]

It is certainly a piece that everone is sure to know, at a sight reading gig (even if they haven't played the quintet version), that isn't "Die Banklesangerlieder"!

[Ben]

I have played the Nowak. Going to read the Saborin Soon. I'll let you know when I have played both, otherwise, I really like the Nowak....


6 years late.

[Z-Tuba Dude]

Wow!
I look forward to your assessment of the Sabourin, Ben!
(Still waiting to make a decision.....)

[Ben]

OK, we read through the 1st mvt of the Sabourin, and the horn player (quite excellent) balked. There are some atypical writen lines in it, whereas the Nowak plays itself. Both works are a blow, but based on mvt 1, we chose the Nowak.

My evaluation from looking at the score: both are decent. Sabourin puts more of the "tricky parts" in the trombone and horn, whereas the Nowak puts those parts in in the trumpets and tuba. I also feel the tuba writing of the Sabourin is more aligned with a contrabass tuba, whereas the Nowak is higher in tessiatura. I modify the Nowak downwards when I feel the lower octave is appropriate, but still perform it on my F. YMMV

[Z-Tuba Dude]

Well.....thank you, Ben!

Now I can finally put a 5 year old problem, to rest!