Brass quintet repertoire

Along with a concerted effort to commission new works for brass quintet since 1967 the bulk of any brass quintet's repertoire consists of arrangements of pre-existing music. Victor Ewald's four brass quintets are the first serious attempts at establishing a repertoire for the ensemble, though they do not stand up to typical string quartet repertoire of the same and preceding eras. The Chicago and New York Brass Quintets made sustained efforts to commission new works, and much of the original repertoire for brass quintet from the mid-20th century derives from their groundbreaking work. In the 1960s the mantle of creating a repertoire for brass quintet was taken up by the American Brass Quintet and the New York Brass Quintet, with both groups essentially establishing the brass quintet as a part of the chamber music field. Notably, only two brass quintets have ever been awarded the Walter W. Naumburg Chamber Music Award, considered by many to be the highest achievement in brass chamber music: The Empire Brass Quintet in 1976 and The Saturday Brass Quintet in 1990. But it was Canadian Brass that developed the pragmatic approach to repertoire allowed the ensemble to reach a wider audience. They developed a two prong approach to performance, developing a masterpiece approach to repertoire that popularized the brass quintet as an ensemble into what was essentially a "pops" ensemble. Meanwhile, the ensemble has been pursuing an aggressive 45-year commissioning schedule. Though this ensemble is seldom recognized for its achievement in the contemporary sphere, they have created well over 100 newly composed works for brass quintet, though few of the Canadian Brass commissions of original compositions have taken hold in the repertoire of other brass quintets.

It is generally agreed amongst brass players that the tuba is the dominant choice for brass quintets, with the ability to play smaller instruments such as bass trombone or baritone for certain repertoire such as Renaissance. The American Brass Quintet has always used bass trombone instead of tuba, and their extensive commissioning has validated use of this instrumentation. It is not uncommon for composers to write interchangeable parts for tuba and bass trombone to enable both types of quintets to perform their work.

Brass quintet repertoire

Bruce Adolphe, TriskelionWorldCat: Triskelion. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Efraín Amaya Brass Quintet Retrieved Gilbert Amy, RelaisWorldCat: Relais. Retrieved: November 24, 2017. Malcolm Arnold, Quintet for Brass No. 1, Op. 73 Malcolm Arnold, Quintet for Brass No. 2, Op. 132 Alexander Arutiunian, Armenian Scenes Daniel Asia, Brass Quintet Milton Babbitt, CounterpartsWorldCat: Counterparts. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Jan Bach, LaudesWorldCat: Laudes. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Jan Bach, Rounds and Dances Jan Bach, TriptychWorldCat: Triptych. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Jason Bahr, DivergenceWorldCat: Divergence. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Jason Bahr, Eagle Fanfare Drew Baker, Kiln for brass quintet & piano Leonardo Balada, MosaicsWorldCat: Mosaics. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Stephen Barber, Multiples Points on View of a Fanfare Stephen Barber, Gone Is the River Edward Barnes, Variations for Brass Quintet Robert Beaser, Brass QuintetWorldCat: Beaser Quintet. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Irwin Bazelon, Brass QuintetWorldCat: Bazelon Quintet. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Jean-François Bellon, Douze Quintettes de Cuivres Luciano Berio, CallWorldCat: Call. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Derek Bourgeois, Sonata for Brass QuintetWorldCat: Bourgeois. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Henry Brant, The Fourth Millennium Robert Russell Bennett, Arabesque Leonard Bernstein, Dance Suite for Brass QuintetWorldCat: Dance Suite. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Larry Bitensky, For Then and Now for brass quintet William Bolcom, Quintet Darijan Božič, Kriki (The Cries)WorldCat: Kriki. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Eugène Bozza, Bis Eugène Bozza, Sonatine for 2 C trumpets, 1 horn, 1 trombone, and 1 tuba.WorldCat: Sonatine. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Alvin Brehm, Quintet for BrassWorldCat: Brehm. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Howard J. Buss, Concord, Chromatic Fantasy, Sonic Fables (brass quintet & one percussion), Sonata K.380/Scarlatti, D., Tribute to Stephen Foster Vitaly Buyanovsky, Ballet Suite Morley Calvert, An Occasional SuiteWorldCat: Occasional Suite. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Morley Calvert, Suite from the Monteregian Hills Elliott Carter, Brass Quintet Elliott Carter, A Fantasy about Purcell's "Fantasia upon One Note"WorldCat: Purcell. Retrieved November 25, 2017. John Cheetham, Brass Menagerie John Cheetham, Scherzo Jack Cooper, Scenes for BrassWorldCat: Scenes for Brass. Enrique Crespo, Spiritual Waltz Enrique Crespo, Suite Americana No. 1 Georges Delerue, VitrailWorldCat: Vitrail. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Carl Della Peruti, Sounding for Brass QuintetWorldCat: Sounding. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Robert Dennis, Blackbird VariationsWorldCat: Blackbird Variations. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Anthony DiLorenzo, Fire DanceWorldCat: Fire Dance. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Lucia Dlugoszewski, Angels of the Inmost HeavenWorldCat: Angels. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Jacob Druckman, Other VoicesWorldCat: Other Voices. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Jack Curtis Dubowsky, Brass Quintet No. 1WorldCat: Dubowsky quintet. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Jack Curtis Dubowsky, Due NorthWorldCat: Due North. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Jack End, 3 SalutationsWorldCat: Three Salutations. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Donald Erb, Three Pieces for Brass QuintetWorldCat: Erb Three pieces. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Donald Erb, The St. Valentine's Day Brass QuintetWorldCat: Valentine's Day. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Alvin Etler, QuintetWorldCat: Etler Quintet. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Alvin Etler, Sonic SequenceWorldCat: Sonic Sequence. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Victor Ewald, Quintet no. 1 in B-flat minor (Op. 5)WorldCat: Ewald 1. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Victor Ewald, Quintet no. 2 in E-flat major (Op. 6)'WorldCat: Ewald 2. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Victor Ewald, Quintet no. 3 in D flat major (Op. 7)WorldCat: Ewald 3. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Victor Ewald, Quintet no. 4 in A-flat major (Op. 8)WorldCat: Ewald 4. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Eric Ewazen, Colchester FantasyWorldCat: Colchester Fantasy. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Eric Ewazen, Frost FireWorldCat: Frost Fire. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Eric Ewazen, Grand Valley Fanfare Eric Ewazen, A Western FanfareWorldCat: Western Fanfare. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Brian Fennelly, Brass Quintet No. 3 (Velvet and Spice)WorldCat: Velvet and Spice. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Brian Fennelly, Locking Horns-Brass Quintet No. 2WorldCat: Locking Horns. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Brian Fennelly, Prelude And Elegy For Brass QuintetWorldCat: Prelude and Elegy. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Myron Fink, A Suite of Antiques Malcolm Forsyth, Golyardes' Grounde Lukas Foss, Night Music for John Lennon In Memory of December 8, 1980, for brass quintet and orchestraWorldCat: Night Music. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Sean Friar, Kindly Reply for brass quintet (2016) Kenneth Fuchs, Fire, Ice, and Summer BronzeWorldCat: Fire, Ice, and Summer Bronze. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Jack Gallagher, Toccata for Brass QuintetWorldCat: Toccata. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Jack Gallagher, Celebration and ReflectionWorldCat: Celebration and Reflection. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Elliot Goldenthal, Brass Quintet No. 2WorldCat: Goldenthal 2. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Daniel Grabois, Zen MonkeyWorldCat: Zen Monkey. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Edward Gregson, Quintet for Brass Yalil Guerra, Carnaval for brass quintet John Halle, SoftshoeWorldCat: Soft Shoe. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Piers Hellawell, Sound Carvings from the Bell Foundry Anders Hillborg, Brass QuintetWorldCat: Hillborg quintet. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Alun Hoddinott, Ritornelli 2WorldCat: Ritornelli 2. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Vagn Holmboe, Quintet No 1, Op. 79WorldCat: Holmboe 1. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Vagn Holmboe, Quintet No 2, Op. 136WorldCat: Holmboe 2. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Eres Holz, Vier Schatten Joseph Horovitz, Music Hall SuiteWorldCat: Music Hall Suite. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Eric Hudes, PentaptychWorldCat: Pentaptych. Retrieved November 25, 2017. John Huggler, QuintetWorldCat: Huggler. Retrieved November 25, 2017, Jason Huffman, Christmas Tree Karel Husa, Divertimento for brass quintetWorldCat: Divertimento. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Karel Husa, LandscapesWorldCat: Landscapes. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Steve Jablonsky, Streets of Laredo (2018) Steve Jablonsky, Danny Boy (2019) Steve Jablonsky, Memorial Day (2019) Gordon Jacob, Changing Moods David A. Jaffe, Descent into Flatland Vincent Jockin, Quintette de Cuivres Phillip Johnston, Sleeping Beauty Collier Jones, Four Movements for Five BrassWorldCat: Four Movements for Five Brass. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Collier Jones, Suite for Brass Quintet, "The Roadrunner" Michael Kamen, QuintetWorldCat: Kamen Quintet. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Jan Koetsier, Brass Quintet, Opus 65 Sonny Kompanek, Killer TangoWorldCat: Killer Tango. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Peter Korn, Prelude and ScherzoWorldCat: Prelude and Scherzo. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Bernhard Krol, Promenade Parisienne, Op. 78 Michel Leclerc, Par monts et par vauxWorldCat: Par monts et par vaux. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Tania León, SaokoWorldCat: Saoko. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Edwin London, Brass QuintetWorldCat: London Quintet. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Raymond Luedeke, Brass Quintet – Complexities and Contradictions Witold Lutoslawski, Fanfare for CUBEWorldCat: Fanfare for CUBE. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Witold Lutoslawski, Mini OvertureWorldCat: Mini Overture. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Peter Machajdík Arching Sentiments for brass quintet Retrieved Trygve Madsen, Brass Quintet, Op. 120 Frederik Magle, Intermezzo for Brass Quintet Frederik Magle, Lys på din vej (Light on your path) for brass quintet and organ David Maslanka, Arise!WorldCat: Arise! Retrieved November 24, 2017. Grace-Evangeline Mason, As Bronze Ludwig Maurer, Four Songs for BrassWorldCat: Maurer Four songs. Retrieved January 5, 2018. Ludwig Maurer, Twelve Little Pieces for Brass QuintetWorldCat: Maurer Twelve Pieces. Retrieved January 5, 2018. Francis McBeth, Four FrescosWorldCat: Four Frescoes. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Kevin McKee, EscapeWorldCat: Escape. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Kevin McKee, Vuelta del FuegoWorldCat: Vuelta del Fuego. Retrieved November 25, 2017. John Melby, 91 Plus 5 for brass quintet and computerWorldCat: 91 plus 5. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Jerome Moross, Sonatina for Brass QuintetTurner, Charles. “Jerome Moross: An Introduction and Annotated Worklist.” Notes, vol. 61, no. 3, 2005, pp. 659–727. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4487438. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020. Robert Nagel, This Old Man MarchWorldCat: This Old Man March. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Lior Navok, Gitz & Spitz Suite Clint Needham, Abstract MosaicsWorldCat: Abstract Mosaics. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Per Nørgård, VisionWorldCat: Vision. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Leroy Osmon, "Introduction and Allegro" Hermeto Pascoal, Timbrando Robert Paterson, Dash Retrieved November 30, 2022. Robert Paterson, ShineWorldCat: Shine. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Vincent Persichetti, Parable for Brass QuintetWorldCat: Parable. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Tom Pierson, Brass QuintetWorldCat: Pierson Quintet. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Anthony Plog, 4 Sketches for Brass Quintet (Quintet #1)WorldCat: 4 sketches. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Anthony Plog, Mini-Suite for Brass QuintetWorldCat: Mini-Suite. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Anthony Plog, Mosaics for Brass Quintet (Quintet No. 2)WorldCat: Mosaics. Retrieved November 25, 2017.