Flower Duet (from Lakme): Brass Quintet Score & Parts

A brass quintet arrangement of this iconic duet gives your ensemble access to some of the most beloved music in opera without requiring singers. The melody sits beautifully across the brass color palette, and the familiar tune makes it rewarding to perform. The conversion from 6/8 to 3/4 keeps reading manageable while preserving the character of the original.

Graceful and lyrical, with the kind of memorable tune that stays with listeners long after the performance ends. The piece moves with gentle momentum and invites a warm, singing approach from every player. It feels like a conversation between two voices, now expressed through the richness of five brass instruments.

Brass quintets at the medium level who want to program a concert piece that audiences recognize and enjoy. This arrangement works for groups preparing for festival performance or looking to expand beyond standard contemporary quintet literature.

• Balance the melodic line between first trumpet and French horn; these instruments should be heard as equal voices sharing one lyrical idea rather than solo and accompaniment.
• Shape phrases through air support and soft dynamics rather than relying on articulation; this music asks for singing tone across all five players.
• Let the middle voices breathe slightly between phrases to allow the melodic voices to emerge without feeling rushed.
• Control the harmonic foundation in the lower brass so that shifting chords don't cloud the clarity of the melody.

Open a concert with this arrangement to establish a sophisticated, accessible tone from the start. It pairs well alongside other Romantic-era arrangements or classical transcriptions, and its moderate length makes it ideal for a varied program that balances contemporary and traditional brass quintet fare.

• Sustained legato playing in medium-to-soft dynamics
• Balancing multiple melodic voices within an ensemble
• Shaping long phrases using breath control rather than articulation
• Listening to harmonic movement while maintaining rhythmic precision in 3/4 time