Review

Gioacchino Rossini
The Barber of Seville Overture:

Arranged by James Tempest

Piccolo trumpet, 3 B-flat trumpets, flugelhorn, 3 horns, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, 2 euphoniums, tuba

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2019

Score and parts

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

This arrangement for 14 brass players is presented in the keys of D and F major, original keys E/G. After two tutti and fortissimo chords of D major, the signature theme is introduced pianissimo on bass trombone and trumpet, and builds momentum with quite imaginative scoring throughout. The tutti ensemble is used again only in the last 19 measures, again marked fortissimo! The trombone section receives its fair share of melodic interest in parts that are quite demanding. Range for first and second parts is A-f¹. Bass trombone range is C-sharp-d¹.

Production is not up to this publisher’s usual high standard. The score is untidy and system spacing is inconsistent in the parts. There are collisions and solidified beams in parts for second trombone, euphonium 1, flugelhorn, horn 2 and tuba. Canadian Forces bands could not go on parade looking like this, for sure. James Tempest lives in Vancouver and is Senior Director of Music for the Canadian Army.