Baroquial Suite: Brass Quintet Score & Parts

Smallman channels the formal elegance and dance rhythms of the Baroque suite, but infuses them with unexpected harmonic turns and orchestrational textures that feel fresh. The music speaks in a familiar historical language while occasionally winking at the listener with modern brass writing.

Brass quintets at the upper-intermediate to advanced level seeking contest and festival repertoire that balances technical demands with musical substance. This suite fits programs where you want to showcase ensemble precision while exploring Baroque architecture with contemporary flair.

• Balance the invention's contrapuntal lines by rotating which voice leads during rehearsals; this clarifies Smallman's harmonic architecture and keeps all players engaged.
• The gigue demands rhythmic precision across all five parts. Lock the rhythmic figures in the lower voices before layering the faster passagework above.
• Shape the air's longer phrases with natural breathing points; Smallman's Baroque gestures will sing when each voice sustains through to its logical harmonic arrival rather than clipping endings.
• The march's altered Baroque character works best when brass attacks are synchronized. Spend time on articulation uniformity so Smallman's modern coloristic moments stand out by contrast.

This works beautifully as a centerpiece for a concert pairing classical form with contemporary composition. The suite's multi-movement structure gives you flexibility to program individual movements alongside other contrasting pieces, or present the full arc as your quintet's showcase work.

• Reading and executing Baroque contrapuntal writing in modern brass context
• Sustaining long lyrical lines across harmonic changes (air movement)
• Rhythmic precision in compound meter (gigue) and march patterns
• Balance and voice independence across all five parts
• Stylistic flexibility: historical gesture and contemporary musical color