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Chinese Dance – Woodwind Quintet
The Suite of movements extracted by Tchaikovsky from his ballet music for The Nutcracker was an immediate success. As prevalent as the complete ballet The Nutcracker is today, it is hard to imagine that it took years, and perhaps the staging of George Balanchine, for it to become popular.
Some of the most memorable pieces from the suite are the Characteristic Dances. In Act II of the ballet, these movements are employed to introduce different residents of the “Land of Sweets.” Tchaikovsky’s orchestration makes adept use of wind instrument color. This translates very effectively in arrangements for the woodwind quintet.
The Chinese Dance (Danse chinoise), used to introduce Tea, employs low horn and bassoon in a constant rhythm. This contrasts the famous recurring upper register flute theme.
Composer: Mark Questad
Instrumentation: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, F Horn & Bassoon
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 1:05 / 10 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: Bb -
Christmas Fanfare, A – Brass Quintet
Start your Christmas concert with this dramatic fanfare. It could be titled Name Those Carols and it colorfully segues from one to another. This brilliant, shimmering piece will definitely put your audience in the holiday spirit.
The mp3 excerpt (used with permission) features the Tower Brass Quintet and is from their CD, Snowed In … Again.
Composer: Ryan Nowlin
Instrumentation: 2 Bb Trumpets, F Horn, Trombone & Tuba
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 1:30 / 17 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: N/A -
Christmas Songs for Brass Quintet – Brass Quintet
Christmas Songs for Brass Quintet includes arrangements of seven of your favorite carols: Angels We Have Heard On High, Deck the Halls, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!, It Came Upon A Midnight Clear, O Christmas Tree and O Little Town of Bethlehem. Each carol has a touch of the unexpected that will delight your audience.
The mp3 excerpt (used with permission) features the Southern California Brass Quintet playing Deck the Halls.
The score is oriented in landscape and the parts, portrait.
Composer: Scott Ninmer
Instrumentation: 2 Bb Trumpets, F Horn, Trombone & Tuba
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 12:00 / 64 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: N/A -
Continental Christmas, A – Brass Quintet
This European Christmas tour begins simply with the piccolo trumpet and trumpet introducing the Basque carol Khanta Zagum (Companions All Sing Loudly). Next is the German carol O Tannenbaum. Last is the Neapolitan carol Canzone d’i Zampognari (When Christ Our Lord Was Born).
Add a continental flair to your next Christmas concert.
Composer: Anne McGinty
Instrumentation: 2 Bb Trumpets, F Horn, Trombone & Tuba
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 2:30 / 13 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: Bb min / Eb
