Review

Ludwig van Beethoven
Adagio Cantabile: from Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, Op.13

Arranged by James Hopson

Brass Quintet 2 B-flat trumpets, F horn, trombone, tuba

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2004 / 2020
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts.

Primary Genre: Brass Ensemble - 5 brass

The second movement of Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata has been performed by musicians as diverse as Billy Joel, Ingolf Dahl, Karl Haas, and the band Kiss. It has been featured in two Charlie Brown films and as the theme song for the radio show Adventures in Good Music. James Hopson’s arrangement of the Adagio Cantabile movement for brass quintet is set in the same key and closely follows the form of the original piano work.

Many brass transcriptions of piano works often yield less than desirable results in terms of range, texture, and endurance challenges, but Hopson’s version of the Beethoven Adagio Cantabile makes good compromises in each of these areas to preserve the overall energy and musical effect of the piano version while still being well set for brass. The main thematic material is traded between the horn and both trumpet parts, and abundant opportunities to rest are frequent in all five parts. While there are a few moments that move into extreme registers, necessary to facilitate Beethoven’s iconic melodic lines, particularly in the first trumpet part, these are infrequent and still fall well within the tessitura of the instruments.

James Hopson’s arrangement of the Adagio Cantabile is perhaps best suited to a more advanced brass quintet not so much due to its technical demands but more on account of the mature musicianship necessary to capture the proper character of this music on brass instruments. With the right musicians, this transcription will surely be a welcome addition to any brass quintet program.