Review

Johann Sebastian Bach
Kom, süsser Tod, BWV 478:

Arranged by Jim Tempest

Brass Ensemble: 10-part Brass Ensemble: 3 B-flat trumpets, 2 F horns, 2 trombones, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2022
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts.

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

Kom, süßer Tod is a chorale written by J.S. Bach in 1735, which sets sacred text by an anonymous author. The text addresses the topic of death in a first-person voice that welcomes its arrival. It is one of Bach’s most popular chorales, and it has been arranged for many different ensembles.

Jim Tempest’s arrangement is for three B-flat trumpets, two horns, two tenor trombones, bass trombone, euphonium, and tuba. His setting includes two verses, each with their own character. The first verse mixes instrumentation, often leaving a section out to explore a smaller combination of voices. In doing so, the melody is passed between several different parts. This verse also treats the articulation in a predominantly legato style. The second verse utilizes all ten voices most of the time with  markedly less legato throughout. The harmony is largely identical to Bach’s original setting.

The trumpet parts span from a-b-flat2, horn parts c-sharp1-g2, trombone parts E to g1, euphonium G-e-flat1, tuba AA-flat-d. There are no mutes necessary.

The chorale style in this arrangement includes several fermatas. For this reason, it lends itself to a performance with conductor, but an advanced chamber ensemble can perform it without problem. Its simple rhythm and manageable range in most parts makes this arrangement accessible to high school level and above. Playing together at the Adagio tempo of eighth note = 72 presents its greatest challenge.