Review

Claude Debussy
Fanfare from Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien:

Arranged by Charles Decker

Brass choir: 4 B-flat trumpets, 4 F horns, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani

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)

Debussy wrote this work in 1911 as incidental music for a play by Gabriele D'Annunzio. This edition of the Fanfare from Part III, Le Concile des faux dieux (The Council of the false gods) is given in its original key of B-flat and is scored for four B-flat trumpets, four F horns, three trombones, tuba and timpani in B-flat/F/G/C (four drums required). Original scoring was for four trumpets, six horns, trombone, tuba and timpani.

There are many triplet 16ths in the upper parts, which are quite demanding. First trumpet goes up to c³. Trombones are in supporting roles throughout; parts are in bass clef. Ranges are e-flat-g¹ for first and B-flat-d¹ for second. Bass trombone covers B-flat-b-flat. This arrangement is suitable for advanced performers. Charles Decker was formerly principal trumpet with the U.S. Army Field Band of Washington, D.C. and was trumpet professor at Tennessee Tech University from 1981 to 2016.