Concerto for Trombone: Brass Quintet Score & Parts

Bill Bjornes Jr.'s arrangement strips away the band setting and distills the concerto down to its essential musical core: five brass players and one virtuoso soloist. The result is an ideal festival and recital vehicle that keeps all the melodic and harmonic richness of the original while creating an intimate, focused sound that demands precision from every player. For a brass quintet looking to program substantial repertoire with immediate musical impact, this is a natural choice.

Rimsky-Korsakov's Concerto pulses with Romantic lyricism and occasional bursts of virtuosic brilliance. The trombone soars over warm, supporting voices that frame the solo line with rich harmonic color; the music balances moments of intimate chamber playing with passages that demand full brass sound and technical command.

This arrangement serves brass quintets preparing festival repertoire or building a recital program around their trombonist. It works equally well in a master class environment at the high school or college level, where advanced students can engage with a historically significant concerto alongside chamber music collaboration.

• Balance the trombone solo against the quintet's supporting voices; the solo line should always sing clearly, but the other brass players carry harmonic and rhythmic responsibility that cannot be sacrificed.
• Pay close attention to Rimsky-Korsakov's dynamic markings and use them to shape phrases; sudden shifts from soft to loud create the dramatic character the composer intended.
• Coordinate articulation across all five players, especially in passages where the quintet provides rhythmic or harmonic foundation; unified tonguing makes the ensemble sound cohesive.
• Approach the lyrical sections with a singing tone quality; this is not about technical display alone, but about sustaining beautiful musical lines across sustained passages.

Program this as the centerpiece of a quintet recital, either as a standalone feature or paired with shorter contemporary works that contrast with its Romantic sensibilities. It also serves well as a demonstration piece in a master class, where the soloist can discuss interpretive choices and the ensemble can explore balance and intonation in a standard work of the repertoire.

• Balancing a featured soloist within a chamber ensemble
• Sustaining lyrical lines over extended passages
• Coordinating articulation and dynamic control across five instruments
• Interpreting Romantic-era phrasing and expression
• Responding to a soloist's rubato and musical communication