(The Four Seasons)-Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) stands with Handel and J.S. Bach as one of the titanic figures of late Baroque composition. Not only was he lauded as a composer of vocal and instrumental works both sacred and secular he was without doubt the most prolific composer of his age. In addition to hundreds of vocal works including forty-nine operas he composed five hundred concertos. The Four Seasons are probably the best known of his concerti with the second movement Largo portraying time spent by a roaring fire listening to the rain pounding against the window. This new arrangement for brass band retains all the warmth of the original.

Score and Parts-Samuel Scheidt's Canzone Bergamasca for Brass Quintet. Score and parts.Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654) was one of the influential trio of S's (with Heinrich Schutz and Johann Hermann Schein)who played an important part in both the development of German music of the early Baroque and in the survival of a high level of musical life during the devastation of the Thirty Years War.The son of a musical family of Halle in central Germany Scheidt spent most of his life in the city which saw both his birth and his death. From 1605 to 1608 however he went ot Amsterdam to study with the famous Ducth composer and organist Jan PietersSweelinck.Renowned in his day for his Vocal works - especially for his 'Concerti Sacri' - Scheidt achieved lasting fame for his revolutionary contributions to Organ literature. He introduced elements of tonal harmonyin his music and his masterwork 'Tabulatura Nova' marked the end of the German tablature system of notation for Organ.The Canzone Bergamasca marked by lively rhythms and contrapuntal inventiveness comesfrom an early collection of canzonas and dances published in Hamburg in 1621. The work is a 'chain' canzona (similar in form to the canzonas of Gabrieli) in which the material for one section develops out of the material of theprevious section uniquely linking all of the sections together. For additional contrast there is a tripla section in the middle and the work ends with a recapitulation of the first theme.The 'Bergamasca' of the title atthis period refers to the use of melodic material based on a harmonic ground derived from an Italian folk dance of the Bergamo region.

Transcribed by popular brass arranger Robert King this edition of Giovanni Gabrieli's Canzon Primi Toni 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 Canzon Primi Toni as part of the composer's Sacred Symphony represents an important turn not only in the composer's career but in musical history. Composed in 1597 this piece paved the way to what would soon become the new Baroqueconcerto style which remains popular to this day. King's arrangement of this historical work is indispensable for Brass Ensembles.

Transcribed by popular brass arranger Robert King this edition of Giovanni Gabrieli's Canzon septimi toni No. 2 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 committed himself primarily to vocal and sacred works. However his Canzon septimi toni No. 2 represents an important turn not only in the composer's career but in musical history. Composed in 1597 this piece paved the way for what would soon become the new Baroque concerto style which remainspopular to this day. King's arrangement of this historical work is indispensable for Brass Ensembles.