Concerto: Brass Quintet Score & Parts

David Marlatt's arrangement captures the energy of Rathgeber's original trumpet writing while making it accessible to the standard brass quintet without sacrificing musical substance. The outer movements deliver the rhythmic drive and imitative writing that audiences expect from Baroque concertos, and the transposition to B-flat concert pitch accommodates modern brass instrument ranges. This is exactly the kind of masterwork arrangement that gives quintet ensembles concert-worthy material with genuine historical roots.

Spirited and ceremonial, with the brightness that comes from two trumpets stating ideas in dialogue. The outer movements pulse with rhythmic vitality and imitative interplay reminiscent of Vivaldi's concerto tradition, while the harmonic language grounds everything in the clarity of the Baroque. It strikes a balance between orchestral grandeur and chamber intimacy.

Brass quintets working at the medium-difficult level who want to add a legitimate Baroque concerto to their repertoire without programming yet another transcription of a violin or keyboard work. This arrangement is equally suited for contest or festival play and for concerts where you want to feature the virtuosity of your two trumpet players within an ensemble context.

• Balance the two trumpet parts so they function as true soloists; the inner voices should support rather than compete, even during imitative passages
• Approach the rhythmic interest in the outer movements with precision and vitality; articulation clarity will define the character and prevent the fast sections from sounding muddy
• Use the score to identify where the accompaniment patterns stabilize and where they shift; this awareness helps the ensemble breathe together across longer phrases
• Mark the transposition from E-flat to B-flat in your personal parts to avoid confusion during rehearsal and performance prep

Program this as a centerpiece in a mixed brass chamber concert, or use it to frame a Baroque segment that might include other arranged works. The medium-difficult rating and festival designation make it ideal for preparing a contest entry that showcases serious musicianship without requiring championship-level technique in every chair.

• Executing imitative counterpoint across two equal-voice parts
• Maintaining rhythmic clarity and ensemble precision in fast, dense passagework
• Balancing accompaniment texture so solo lines project clearly
• Responding to transposed concert pitch and adjusting intonation accordingly
• Sustaining phrasing across Baroque harmonic progressions and cadence structures