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mbtrpt
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Joined: 19 Nov 2014
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Location: United States
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 Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:47 am Post subject: O Magnum Mysterium |
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Hey everyone,
Is there an arrangement of Morten Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium" out there for brass quintet? I know there used to be one by Paul Garza out there, but it's been discontinued. Help?
Thanks!
Megan Bailey
BM DePaul '13
MM University of Illinois '15 (anticipated) |
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Olinhannum
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Joined: 02 Nov 2011
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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IMO quintet doesn't really do the piece justice. I'm sure there's an arrangement out there, but the expansion of voices in the original is what gives the highpoint of the piece it's thickness and sound. A quintet isn't really going to have that kind of sound available.
That being said, I do have a 9 part arrangement if you want it. |
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deleted_user_1dac1c5
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Joined: 03 Apr 1996
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Olinhannum wrote: | IMO quintet doesn't really do the piece justice. I'm sure there's an arrangement out there, but the expansion of voices in the original is what gives the highpoint of the piece it's thickness and sound. A quintet isn't really going to have that kind of sound available.
That being said, I do have a 9 part arrangement if you want it. |
+1
I have a friend who plays horn who wrote an arrangement, and he said trying to break down the chords was essentially impossible, and he felt that the piece lost something with every 7 part chord he forced into 5 part. |
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qcm
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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One of my absolute favorite choral pieces of all times.
It is stunningly beautiful, but as others have said, probably impossible to replicate with a brass quintet.
-Dave
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Kanstuls, LA Benges and a Selmer picc. |
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gbshelbymi
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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Our brass band director wrote a beautiful arrangement for our band, but I agree that a quintet wouldn't be adequate for the piece.
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Greg
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Getzen 3850 Custom - Kanstul 1525 Flugelhorn - Getzen Severinsen Eterna LB - 70s Bach 180ML37 - 70s Bach CL 229 25C - CarolBrass Pocket - 40 Conn 80A etc. |
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bunny
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Joined: 12 Apr 2005
Posts: 229
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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I have played a brass choir arrangement of this. Can't do with just 5.
Can't remember exactly how many it was for. I know we used 4 flugels. |
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Crazy Finn
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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| qcm wrote: | One of my absolute favorite choral pieces of all times.
It is stunningly beautiful, but as others have said, probably impossible to replicate with a brass quintet.
-Dave |
Yeah. The truly excellent top choir at my college did this while I was there. Stunningly beautiful is right.
I understand the desire to arrange pieces like this for other ensembles. It's beautiful music. However, I have to say, it's usually pales in comparison to the original, in my estimation.
Barber's Adagio is the same for me. Lovely piece and it really needs the lush strings express itself. The same with things like Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. I've heard brass arrangement of these and were really excited to hear them, because they're great works. Alas, there's a reason some pieces were composed for their specific mediums.
But, I suppose it's worth trying. You'll never know... There are a few arrangements of things I like better than the original - I think. I can't give an example.
So back to O Magnum Mysterium - Quintet is wildly insufficient for this. I've heard brass choirs do it... it's passable, but pale imitation. Frankly, trumpets are the wrong instrument for this texture. This is something that would benefit from more conical brass band instrumentation rather than trumpets and trombones. Cornets, Eb Cornet if necessary, Flugel and Euphonium for sure. The sonority would work better. Trumpets are just all wrong for this.
I've just heard it in it's original choral form and performed superbly, I don't think any other version will remotely measure up.
Frankly, there's just no way to accurately capture the magnificence of a superb choir - the lushness of voice, depth, the soaring sopranos, the fluidity. Sorry, not for me.
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Last edited by Crazy Finn on Thu Nov 20, 2014 3:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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cheiden
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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I've keyed the original into Finale and tried to render both quintet and dectet arrangements. I don't think either are particularly successful. The biggest problem I have with this and similar choral works is that brass players get destroyed with the endless sustained phrases. I'll review them again tonight.
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Crazy Finn
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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| cheiden wrote: | | I've keyed the original into Finale and tried to render both quintet and dectet arrangements. I don't think either are particularly successful. The biggest problem I have with this and similar choral works is that brass players get destroyed with the endless sustained phrases. I'll review them again tonight. |
Yeah, among the many things that are hard to replicate is the ability of a choir to just sustain. It's a similar issue with strings, they can just keep going. It's hard to get the smoothness of a string section in brass instruments - after all, we articulate, breathe...
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LA Benge 3X Bb Trumpet
Selmer Radial Bb Trumpet
Yamaha 6335S Bb Trumpet
Besson 709 Bb Trumpet
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Yamaha 731 Bb Flugelhorn |
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RandyTX
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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There's a really outstanding commercial brass band arrangement of it, but I think it would be difficult to do with a quintet like others have said.
Even so, one of the few things where I still prefer the choral version. |
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cheiden
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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I've reviewed my quintet setting and I don't hate it. Seems to me it works best down a step from concert D to concert C. The larger ensemble setting does sound better and there's a tad more rest for some players but not much.
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"I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart |
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diehltpt
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Joined: 14 Nov 2014
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Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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The Pittsburgh Symphony Brass has a great recording of this piece on what I believe is their most recent Christmas CD, "A Song of Christmas". Not sure who the arranger is, but regardless of if you think quintet is sufficient for this piece check it out just for the unbelievable playing.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-song-of-christmas/id294116179 |
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Crazy Finn
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