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

The piece breathes with the proportions and elegant phrasing of a Vivaldi concerto, but voiced entirely for brass. The interplay between trumpets creates forward momentum without aggression; the ensemble around them maintains a light, articulate texture that recalls the transparency of a baroque chamber ensemble rather than a solid brass sound.

Brass quintets preparing for contests or festivals will find a substantial, stylistically coherent work that demands musicianship across all five parts. Ensembles comfortable with standard quintet repertoire but seeking something with more harmonic and melodic depth will appreciate the craft in Marlatt's writing. This works equally well for groups developing baroque interpretation skills or programming a concert featuring period-inflected arrangements.

• Shape the imitative passages between trumpets with precise articulation control; clarity of line matters more than volume, especially in the lighter baroque idiom.
• Treat the tuba part with the same care you would a keyboard continuo line; rhythmic steadiness anchors the counterpoint above it.
• Balance the inner voices (horns and trombone) so they support rather than obscure the trumpet dialogue; lean into the scored dynamics.
• Work the baroque style markers into your rehearsal early: ornament placement, note length within slurred figures, and the weight of each articulated attack.

Pair this with other baroque-influenced works to build a short festival program or concert segment on historical style. The three-movement structure and medium difficulty make it an accessible entry point for ensembles exploring baroque transcriptions without requiring virtuosic technical display. It also sits naturally alongside contemporary works by composers drawing on classical forms.

• Baroque articulation and phrasing conventions in a brass context
• Balancing imitative counterpoint between two independent melodic lines
• Reading and executing figured bass-style writing (tuba continuo part)
• Ensemble intonation in traditional brass quintet voicing
• Dynamic control and transparency in a five-part texture