Review

Edvard Grieg
Holberg Suite:

Arranged by James Haynor

10-part brass ensemble

Vancouver, BC, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2011
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Primary Genre: Brass Ensemble - 6+ brass (choir)

This arrangement of Grieg's neo-baroque string orchestra piece Holberg Suite is scored for four trumpets, two horns, two trombones and two tubas, and is within the reach of a high school ensemble. The trumpet parts are printed in B-flat, the trombone parts in bass clef. Ranges are: trumpet 1: a-b-flat2, trumpet 2: a-d2, trumpet 3: a-g2, trumpet 4: g-d2, horn 1: g-sharp-g2, horn 2: g-sharp-g2, trombone 1: G-g1, trombone 2: G-sharp-e1, tuba 1: FF-a, tuba 2: FF-f.
 
Some of the technical challenges in this piece have been edited to make it more accessible, including sixteenth note runs simplified to eighth note/two sixteenth note figures and notes left out during extended passages to provide breathing spots. There are, however, still some technical difficulties. Eighth note/two sixteenth note double-tonguing is required in all of the parts except the tubas. The Air contains 32nd notes and 32nd note triplets at tempo of mm=50. All of the trumpet parts require light tonguing in the lower register and the trumpet and horn parts contain 32nd note triplet figures.
 
While range and technical requirements in this arrangement are reasonable, there are substantial ensemble difficulties. Melodic material is often passed from one voice to another, notably in the final movement where trumpets 1 and 3 must rapidly pass syncopated material back and forth to sound like one melody. Several melodies are doubled at the octave, so balance and pitch are crucial. And some passages lack Grieg’s dynamic markings so ensemble phrasing is vague and will likely need attention in rehearsal.

-Frank Gazda
Delaware State University