Violin (Trumpet) Concerto: Brass Quintet Score & Parts

Mendelssohn's original violin concerto is justly famous, but this brass quintet arrangement opens it to ensembles that don't have a virtuoso soloist on hand. Bjornes has preserved the work's essential character while creating a genuine feature for trumpet; the transposition to B-flat minor sits comfortably in the trumpet's range and gives the entire quintet something substantial to sink their teeth into at a genuinely advanced level.

Lyrical and virtuosic in equal measure, this arrangement captures Mendelssohn's gift for soaring melody set against rich harmonic support. The work moves between moments of genuine warmth and passages of brilliant technical display, never letting either element overshadow the other.

Advanced brass quintets preparing for festival competitions or concerts that demand serious technical and musical chops. Trumpet-centered ensembles looking for a work that showcases the instrument while honoring a major Romantic masterpiece.

• The trumpet soloist needs secure high passage work and real lyrical control in the slower sections. Balance the technical passages with singing phrasing so the melody doesn't become mechanical.
• Lock the horn and trombone parts into a unified harmonic foundation; they carry the Romantic harmonic language that makes this arrangement work.
• Shape the opening with clear rubato but maintain rhythmic precision from the supporting voices. Mendelssohn's melodies breathe best when the accompaniment stays steady underneath.

Include this as a standalone feature in a concert devoted to Romantic-era arrangements or pair it with Mendelssohn's original violin concerto played by a student soloist to highlight how the same musical ideas translate across instruments. It's substantial enough to anchor a brass ensemble festival appearance and impressive enough to impress in a mixed chamber concert setting.

• Sustained legit playing across a wide range on trumpet
• Balancing solo virtuosity with supportive harmonic ensemble playing
• Handling rapid scalar passage work and intervallic jumps cleanly
• Responding to rubato in the solo line while maintaining rhythmic integrity in accompaniment parts
• Understanding harmonic progression in the Romantic era