Title

Brass Quintet No. 3 in D-flat Major, Opus 7 (or Op. 11)

I. Allegro moderato

II. Intermezzo

III. Andante

IV. Vivo

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Composed

ca. 1912

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Composer

Victor Ewald (1860 – 1935)

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Composer Information

Victor Ewald was not a musician by trade, he followed in his family’s tradition and became a professor at the Institute of Civil Engineering in St. Petersburg. But he also was an accomplished amateur musician and enjoyed playing cello at string quartet performances, eventually befriending composers such as Modest Mussorgsky and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. but an engineer and teacher who had music as his avocation. In the Russia of the 19th Century, many musicians, including the greatest, were "amateurs," having another profession in addition to their art. Belayev published this Symphony for Brass in 1912.

 

Publisher

Music Express

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Duration

16:00

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Difficulty

1

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Ranking Position

4

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Discography

American Brass Quintet by American Brass Quintet, Raymond Mase, Chris Gekker, David Wakefield, Ronald Borror & Robert Biddlecome: Crystal Records, 2002.

Romantic Age Brass by New York Brass Quintet, Robert Nagel, Allan Dean, Toby Hanks, Paul Ingraham & John Swallow: Mentor Music, 2007.

Music For Brass Quintet by The US Air Force Brass Quintet: Altissimo!, 2008.

Romantic Music for Brass by Center City Brass Quintet: Chandos, 2004.

Tchaikovsky, P.I.: Romeo And Juliet / Serenade / Francesca Da Rimini / Ewald, V.: Brass Quintets Nos. 1 And 3 by Philadelphia Orchestra, Eschenbach: Ondine, 2010.

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Types of Instruments/Mutes

2 Cornets, E flat Alto Horn, B flat Tenor Horn, Tuba. No mutes required.

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Final Considerations

This Ewald quintet was actually the last to be composed. The first movement is an expanded Sonata-Allegro form that features a dialogue between two themes interwoven with fanfares and cadences. The trombone introduces the first theme. After a virtuoso section dominated by the first trumpet, a ritardando section acts as a transition from the first theme to the second. The second movement form is ABA, with the A section being a slow and lyrical contrasting with the  B section that is lively full of call and response  Third movement has a Intro-A-B-A'-Coda form, features the lyrical trumpet writing. The last movement is in Sonata-allegro form. This is a great piece that does not impose too much difficulty to the second trumpet, although the first trumpet should be of a more advanced level. Overall this piece is musically interesting.