ELLIOTT CARTER
American Composer: 1908 - 2012
2008 - COMPOSER ELLIOTT CARTER - ONE HUNDRED YEARs OLD
Elliott Carter's Brass Quintet (1974)
Programme Note by Elliott Carter - complements of Music Series Classical
The Brass Quintet was written during the summer of 1974 for the American Brass Quintet which commissioned the work.
This group gave its premiere on October 20, 1974 at a Charles Ives Festival broadcast by the BBC from London, its American premiere at the Library of Congress on November 15, 1974, its New York premiere at Alice Tully Hall on December 15, 1974, and has recorded the work for Columbia Records.
The music being almost constantly multilayered, as is my Second String Quartet, separates the players by individualizing their parts, but not completely, because each instrument shares parts of its repertory with one of the others. The first trumpet, for instance, near the beginning plays in a trio with the second trumpet and tenor trombone featuring the minor sixth light, irregular chords of which the character and interval become part of the repertory of the three participating instruments. A bit later, the first trumpet plays another trio with the horn and bass trombone that features fanfares and quiet, majestic music based on the perfect fifth, which then become part of the repertory of these three instruments. The horn, which has the largest repertory of all, however also frequently uses the augmented fourth which it does not share with any of the other. READ MORE - Elliott Carter
Programme Note by Elliott Carter - complements of Music Series Classical
The Brass Quintet was written during the summer of 1974 for the American Brass Quintet which commissioned the work.
This group gave its premiere on October 20, 1974 at a Charles Ives Festival broadcast by the BBC from London, its American premiere at the Library of Congress on November 15, 1974, its New York premiere at Alice Tully Hall on December 15, 1974, and has recorded the work for Columbia Records.
The music being almost constantly multilayered, as is my Second String Quartet, separates the players by individualizing their parts, but not completely, because each instrument shares parts of its repertory with one of the others. The first trumpet, for instance, near the beginning plays in a trio with the second trumpet and tenor trombone featuring the minor sixth light, irregular chords of which the character and interval become part of the repertory of the three participating instruments. A bit later, the first trumpet plays another trio with the horn and bass trombone that features fanfares and quiet, majestic music based on the perfect fifth, which then become part of the repertory of these three instruments. The horn, which has the largest repertory of all, however also frequently uses the augmented fourth which it does not share with any of the other. READ MORE - Elliott Carter
Elliott Carter's Brass Quintet
1979 Live Performance
Hercules Hall, Munich, Germany
Annapolis Brass Quintet (1979)
Robert Suggs, trumpet; David Cran, trumpet; Arthur LaBar, horn;
Martin Hughes, trombone; Robert Posten, bass trombone
Recorded for Broadcast by Bavarian Radio
To listen to this performance of "Brass Quintet" by Elliott Carter
TAP >Below
(There may be a 10-20 second delay before sound begins)
Duration 17'41"
1979 Live Performance
Hercules Hall, Munich, Germany
Annapolis Brass Quintet (1979)
Robert Suggs, trumpet; David Cran, trumpet; Arthur LaBar, horn;
Martin Hughes, trombone; Robert Posten, bass trombone
Recorded for Broadcast by Bavarian Radio
To listen to this performance of "Brass Quintet" by Elliott Carter
TAP >Below
(There may be a 10-20 second delay before sound begins)
Duration 17'41"
We are grateful to Bavarian Radio
for allowing the Annapolis Brass Quintet Forum exclusive rights to publish this recording
of Elliott Carter's Brass Quintet as an audio stream solely for non-commercial purposes on this website.
This Bavarian Radio recording is not to be downloaded by any individual or entity.
for allowing the Annapolis Brass Quintet Forum exclusive rights to publish this recording
of Elliott Carter's Brass Quintet as an audio stream solely for non-commercial purposes on this website.
This Bavarian Radio recording is not to be downloaded by any individual or entity.
The video performance below is from an informal lecture/demonstration at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, MD. While the aural and visual quality of the recording is not ideal, it is the only video version we know to exist online and thus could give some clues to other quintets who might be intimidated as to how the individual parts could come together.
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, Maryland
Annapolis Brass Quintet's
1985 Noontime:
Lecture/Demonstration/Performance of
Elliott Carter's
1974 Brass Quintet
To watch & hear this LDP
Click on Video > Below
Specifically, it shows how Carter's use of metric modulation--which results in mathematically determined tempo changes--is shown by the frequent trading off between the various quintet members of leadership in dictating the beat. We were always aware that any public performance of this work would require an audience that was very open to challenging contemporary music, but we feel like the process of learning it and spending the time to put it together was worth the effort and helped us to grow considerably as an ensemble. Ultimately we came to see not only the incredible workmanship in its creation, but also in its dramatic and expressive musical qualities.
FOSTERING BRASS CHAMBER MUSIC
The score and parts for Elliott Carter's Brass Quintet, along with the entire ABQ music library, are available for research and performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music Library.
TAP for direct access: ABQ Special Collection @ Oberlin Conservatory Library
The score and parts for Elliott Carter's Brass Quintet, along with the entire ABQ music library, are available for research and performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music Library.
TAP for direct access: ABQ Special Collection @ Oberlin Conservatory Library