A Susato Suite: Conductor Score & Parts

Sherman's arrangement respects Susato's Renaissance craftsmanship while tailoring it brilliantly for the tuba-euphonium quartet, an ensemble that often lacks substantive concert repertoire. The score maintains clarity across all four parts, ensuring that no player gets buried; every voice has moments to lead and moments to support. This is the kind of Renaissance adaptation that sounds completely natural on the instruments, not forced.

Susato's melodies dance with Renaissance charm, moving through clean harmonic progressions that feel both elegant and grounded. The arrangement sits comfortably in the warm, resonant register of low brass, where these four voices create a rich ensemble blend without losing definition. There is nobility in the writing and pleasure in the sound.

Tuba-euphonium quartets seeking repertoire beyond standard contemporary compositions will find this suite essential. Middle school and high school tuba students can access Renaissance harmony and counterpoint through a piece written expressly for their instrumentation. College and community ensembles will appreciate music that challenges them musically while remaining gratifying to rehearse and perform.

• Attend to the dance rhythms embedded in Susato's writing; even though these are Renaissance pieces, they have forward momentum and lift. Avoid dragging the pulse or over-weighting sustained notes.
• Balance the inner voices carefully. With only four players, the euphonium and second tuba lines are essential to the harmonic and textural fabric. Blend rather than blend-away.
• Use the conductor score to identify where melodic material passes between parts. Mark those handoffs in individual parts so the ensemble recognizes when leadership shifts.

Position this suite in a concert where it contrasts with contemporary brass writing, perhaps pairing it with a modern work to highlight how ensemble sound and musical values have evolved. It also serves well as an educational concert piece, introducing audiences to Renaissance instrumental music through a medium (low brass) that brings those old melodies to life in an unexpected way.

• Phrasing and articulation appropriate to Renaissance style
• Balancing independent melodic lines within a four-part ensemble
• Reading and performing from both score (conductor) and individual parts
• Understanding voice leading and harmonic movement across ensemble parts
• Ensemble intonation and blend in sustained chords