Quintet instrumentation heresy

[MaryAnn]

I play euph on the tbone part in a non-gigging BQT. I swoon over playing the Ewald quintets, even though the damn things are mostly in tenor clef. If I weren't reading treble clef in the brass band, I wouldn't get the key signatures mixed up. !

A different local quintet, one that gigs, played one of my pieces recently at two different outings; they have a very find bass bone playing the tbone part, and I think the quintet sounds wonderful. A tenor tbone can get really bright and strident at times, and mellow me the horn player, likes the bass bone sound.

MA

[J.c. Sherman]

Some of the Ewald quintets sound really nice with euphonium instead of trombone.
The euph and tuba pass a line back and forth, and it sounds like a blend instead of a contrast.

Even better, in my experience, is a Baritone on that 4th part. It’s just awesome!

Both my quintets like to vary the colors to different degrees. In one, the leader is rather resistant to anything "non-standard" but can often be convinced. He will do the Ewald with cornets, let me play some bass or contrabass trombone for certain works, and even insists on the cimbasso in one work in our rep.

The other group’s entire focus is on blurring the "standard" quintet sound. That group usually has Eb and C trumpets, often doubling cornets and flugs, horn doubling F trumpet (rarely), Bass trumpet/baritone/euph/trombone, and me on... well a long list of items, though usually a Miraphone 184.

Truly, as many of us gravitate to the character of the tuba, we have an expected affinity for the low range and the enveloping sound available in that register. Some, however, are just as turned on by a contrabassoon down there - maybe more so. Often, if a work is an arrangement (as so much of our quintet rep is), I'll start by questioning the voicing and instrumentation. More, I'll question it twice if it's a popular arrangement, since I'm not there to regurgitate others’ sonic ideals, but to create something both new and satisfying. 8 times out of 10, what's on the page remains what's played. 1/10, there will be a mild adjustment (really small tuba or euph, or cimbasso instead of 2nd bone). The other 10% of the time, I may do something unique or - perhaps - heretical

But it's fulfilling, especially when you put a smile on an audience with 5 trumpets!

My favorite overall? Eb trumpet, cornet, horn, baritone, small tuba, or two trumpets, horn, trombone and bass bone.

J.c.S.