Brass Quartets - Exciting Chamber Ensemble
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, 01-09-2007 at 06:00 PM (5805 Views)
I am surprised to find that many euphonium players do not know about the many, many brass quartets that are written as 2 cornets, horn, and euphonium. (There are other types of brass quartets, but this article will focus on the specific instrumentation of 2 cornets, horn or alto horn, and euphonium.) This is a more-or-less standard ensemble in Europe (especially England) and is a direct parallel to the standard string quartet, which is 2 violins (=cornets), viola (=horn), and cello (=euphonium). There is also a string quintet that is parallel to a brass quintet: 2 violins, viola, cello, and bass (=tuba). In the brass world, the quintet is more commonly heard than the quartet, while in the string world the quartet is much more common than the quintet.
Many brass players would assume that the quintet is superior to the quartet because there is one more voice available (and a wider range). Why doesnt the same logic hold in the string world? Wouldnt the string quartet be improved by the addition of a bass? Was Haydn not aware of the bass when he wrote all those quartets? Or Mozart? Or&? It seems the string quartet serves audiences well as a more facile ensemble with an instrument (cello) that can still provide a nice bottom end to the sound.
The same can be true of a brass quartet. It is a lighter and more facile-sounding ensemble than a brass quintet. Certainly in some music, the extra weight of the tuba is welcome and even required. But much other music can work very well with a quartet.
There exists a wide variety of music for brass quartet, including both original compositions and transcriptions. In my Euphonium Music Guide you will find many original compositions:
Brass Quartets
(You would need to check each listing to make sure it is not another mixture of 4 brass, but most are the standard quartet.) The listing above includes compositions by Gilbert Vinter, Philip Sparke, Edward Gregson, Goff Richards, Wilhelm Ramsoe, Denis Wright, and Peter Graham among others.
A practical consideration is that a brass quartet needs only four people to perform, meaning it could do a pay gig for less money. It is a very fine ensemble for weddings, for example, and one can find transcriptions of many of the wedding-compatible songs that a brass quintet might choose.
It can be difficult to find some of the transcriptions in the USA. Most quartets that are stocked in stores are for 2 trumpets and 2 trombones. However, the British publishers will have them. Studio Music, for example, lists them here:
Studio Music
The Bandsman has a few listed on this page:
Bandsman
Booth Music:
Booth Music
Or some of the publishers on this site might be helpful:
Brass-Forum