Concerto for Two Trumpets and Brass: Brass Quintet Score & Parts

This arrangement preserves everything that makes Vivaldi's original work so effective while opening it to a brass quintet setting that many ensembles can actually assemble. Marlatt's brass scoring maintains the concerto's architectural clarity; the string parts transfer idiomatically to trombone, euphonium, and French horn, creating a warm foundation that lets the two trumpets sing without muddying the texture. For festival programming, it offers genuine Baroque sophistication without the logistics of period strings.

Elegant and assured. Vivaldi's melodic fragments dance and interlock, never settling into predictable patterns, yet the harmony and structure feel inevitable. The writing sparkles without strain, offering that rare Baroque quality where simplicity and sophistication are the same thing.

Brass quintets ready for concert and festival repertoire that sits above beginner level but doesn't demand advanced virtuosity. This works for sections with two capable trumpet players who read comfortably in the treble clef and value ensemble sound over individual display.

• Balance the two trumpet lines so each voice remains distinct through the three movements. Neither should dominate; Vivaldi's writing asks for conversational equality between the soloists.
• Consider the flugel horn substitution for the third trumpet part if it's available; the rounded tone blends more seamlessly with natural trumpet timbre than a bright B-flat trumpet would.
• Shape the falling arpeggios and scale fragments as lyrical figures rather than technical display. Vivaldi's economy of material thrives on musical phrasing, not speed.
• Lock the brass quartet accompaniment to a steady rhythmic pulse. The soloists need a dependable harmonic and rhythmic foundation to navigate the non-chromatic figuration.

Pair it with a heavier 20th-century brass work to showcase both the delicacy of period writing and the ensemble's range. It also fits beautifully in a "Masterworks Across Eras" concert alongside a Classical-era wind music, letting the Baroque concerto anchor the first half with its chamber-music intimacy.

• Baroque phrasing and articulation conventions for brass
• Transparent ensemble balance across five parts
• Reading and executing non-chromatic trumpet figuration naturally
• Sustaining long harmonic lines (for accompanying voices)
• Maintaining rhythmic independence while serving ensemble unity