Review

Richard Wagner
Grand March "Entrance of the Guests" from the Opera Tannhäuser:

Arranged by Thomas Jöstlein

Brass Ensemble and Percussion: 3 C trumpets, 4 F horns, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba, percussion

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2021
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts.

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

Premiered in Dresden in 1845, Tannhäuser tells the story of one man’s struggle between earthly love and celestial lust. After being sent from Venus’ realm back to the mortal world, Tannhäuser is reunited with his love Elisabeth just before a song contest is set to begin. This Grand March, arranged by Thomas Jöstlein for brass ensemble, timpani and percussion, heralds the arriving guests attending the competition, found at the beginning of act II scene 4.

Jöstlein, who currently serves as the Principal Horn of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, is an avid arranger, prolific performer, and ardent promoter of Arnold Jacobs and his musical ideologies. He has dedicated this arrangement to both the Wagner Society of New York and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra brass section, who can be seen performing Jöstlein’s work on YouTube. Although written for brass ensemble, Jöstlein has chosen to omit the euphonium in favor of the standard orchestral brass section: three trumpets in C [f/f-sharp-a2], four horns [c-c3], two tenor trombones [F-b-flat1], bass trombone [BB-flat-c1], and tuba [FF-g]). In doing so, this arrangement carries much of the same style and character of Wagner’s original music.

Adapting music to new ensembles is rarely simple, and the task is made more arduous when downsizing the timbral palette. Even without the woodwind and string sections, Jöstlein highlights timbral distinctions that resemble the orchestral score. This is brilliantly illustrated in measure 32, where orchestrally the brighter timbre of the woodwind section is added to the warm melody initiated by the lower register of the string section. To mirror this, Jöstlein's horn section emulates the strings while trumpets replace the woodwinds. Originally written in B major, Jöstlein has transposed the march to the more brass-familiar key of B-flat major. Though this tonality is more common for brass musicians, it does create an unplayable note in the first trumpet, highlighted by the arranger in measure 55. While the note is covered elsewhere, its presence deserves mentioning. In the opera, the orchestra would normally be joined by the chorus, measure 92 of Jöstlein’s arrangement. Given that no chorus is included, he has chosen to instead skip the repeated section. This is a commonsense decision that limits the length of the composition without detracting from the musical content.

Jöstlein’s arrangement of the Grand March is a fantastic adaptation for the orchestral brass and percussion sections. Showcasing both technical fanfares and flowing lyricism, this arrangement will make a great focal point on any brass ensemble concert.