6 Original Pieces for Brass Quartet. And we?re off! Otto M. Schwarz takes us on a tour of his native Austria in this six-movement work. Passing by the great landmarks of this beautiful country we?re travelling by narrow-gauge railway, by car and finally by high-speed train. Fabled castles, famous gardens in Salzburg (the Mirabell Gardens) and Vienna or the Schloss Esterházy, the palace in Burgenland, where Joseph Haydn worked for many years, are just as important as the mode of transport. As the saying goes, the journey is its own reward.

The Skye Steersman'S Song. Par REINSHAGEN FRANK. Song from the Hebrides. Compatible with clarinet and saxophone editions. Medium Writing these arrangements, Frank Reinshagen has created little masterpieces, which broaden the rhythmical and harmonic context of the original tunes in an interesting manner without detracting from their archaic and melancholic character. These original tunes are - in a direct or wider sense - of 'Celtic origin', in other words, they have been borrowed from the Irish, Scottish and Gaelic musical tradition.These through-composed arrangements are rather easy to perform from the rhythmical and technical point of view. Yet, they are quite demanding in respect of the key they are written in, their intonation and, especially, their interpretation. Their different instrumentations are fully compatible with each other and, due to their overall structure, they are also suitable to be played with multi-scored parts. Annotation on 'S mo lamh air a stiuir: The interpretation of 'S mo lamh air a stiuir - the song of a helmsman living on the Isle of Skye - should be interpreted with the musicians paying careful attention to its dynamics and phrasing, which reflect the up-and-down motion of the stormy Artic Ocean. For this arrangement the key D minor - which is one whole tone lower than the original - has been chosen to make sure that the piece is playable, especially for a clarinet quartet./ Répertoire / Quatuor de Cuivres

3 Original Pieces for Brass Quartet. Three works with quotations from well-known composers are contained in this tongue-in-cheek collection. Otto M. Schwarz has produced an outstanding recording of these works with members of the Slovak Philharmonic, which is available on all streaming and download platforms. 1. THE AMADEUS WATCH: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?s own watch ? if he had one ? ticks away. The ticking carries us back in time with a piece that stylistically imitates the music of the 18th century in melody, harmony and rhythm. 2. COMPOSERS DINNER IN HEAVEN: At the music publisher De Haske, a composers? dinner was an integral part of trade fairs or meetings. The dinner was very popular among anyone who sat at it, not least of all because it offered one the opportunity to chat informally.? Based on such a meeting, Otto M. Schwarz has a composed a work that describes an imaginary dinner of great classical masters on a cloud in the sky. Guess which composers are present by the references in the form of musical quotations and stylistic devices! 3. SCHERZO FOR BRASS QUARTET: The work, in 12/8 time, moves in a rapid furioso. Underscored by a continues eighth note rhythm, the work creates in the listener the sensation of a frantic rollercoaster ride. The theme moves throughout all the parts and, following a chromatically moving chord sequence, ends in a dramatic crescendo.

Transcribed by popular brass arranger Robert King this edition of Giovanni Gabrieli's Canzona per Sonare No. 2 from Canzoni per sonare con ogni sorte di stromenti provides an exciting performance piece for a large Brass Ensemble. Being one of the most influential musicians during the shift from the Renaissance to the Baroque era it is no secret that the composer leaned himself primarily to vocal and sacred works. However his Canzona per Sonare No. 2 represents an important turn not only in the composer's career but in musical history. Composed in 1608 this piece helped pave the wayto what would soon become the new Baroque concerto style which remains popular to this day. King's arrangement of this historical work is indispensable for Brass Ensembles.

Folksong from the Hebrides. Par REINSHAGEN FRANK. Writing these arrangements, Frank Reinshagen has created little masterpieces, which broaden the rhythmical and harmonic context of the original tunes in an interesting manner without detracting from their archaic and melancholic character. These original tunes are - in a direct or wider sense - of „Celtic origin', in other words, they have been borrowed from the Irish, Scottish and Gaelic musical tradition. These through-composed arrangements are rather easy to perform from the rhythmical and technical point of view. Yet, they are quite demanding in respect of the key they are written in, their intonation and, especially, their interpretation. Their different instrumentations are fully compatible with each other and, due to their overall structure, they are also suitable to be played with multi-scored parts. Annotation on 'Aignish on the Machair'. The arrangement of Aignish on the Machair illustrates, above all, the melancholic character inherent in the harmonies of the original tune. A short rubato passage is followed by several variations over the flowing melody in 3/4 time. The short triplet passages embedded in these variations are quite demanding from the technical point of view - considering the key they are written in, however, these passages are not too difficult to play./ Répertoire / Quatuor de Cuivres

Brass Pack-'Brahms Three Sock it to Me'....has clearly set out to cut the boaring bits and only show the goals ... The arrangement itself is tastefully done and may well inspire young players to listen to the original'. Music Teacher Magazine.Grade: 3 - 6