Late Renaissance polyphony with trombones

[LeTromboniste]

A cool Croatian ensemble I play with every year just released a video we shot a couple years ago. One of my favourite pieces of music from the early 17th century. It's scored for 6 parts (and can be done with any mix of voices and low-ish instruments, as is done here, as all the parts are texted and within normal soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass ranges), but the composer specifies that it's actually conceived for soprano solo and 5 trombones!!! And he also offers the option to transpose it down further by a fifth and then do it with alto solo (in which case the bass part is in the basso profundo range with written several low A's, and two or three of the five trombones must be bass trombones). Which is just absolutely glorious.

Here it is in the normal transposition, with soprano, tenor, gamba and three trombones.

[SteveM]

Gorgeous performance!

[muschem]

Beautiful!

[Kbiggs]

Beautiful performance! The video was also beautiful, and added to, rather than distracting from, the performance.

[Lhbone]

Amazing. Thank you for sharing. Will there be more recordings to come? Bravissimo!

[BEngland]

Thank you for sharing! Very beautiful performance.

[LeTromboniste]

Amazing. Thank you for sharing. Will there be more recordings to come? Bravissimo!

There are a couple others on the ensemble's YouTube channel from previous years. I don't think we recorded any videos last year, so nothing coming soon. But this fall we are recording an album!

[CalgaryTbone]

Beautiful as always Maximillian!

Jim Scott

[hyperbolica]

A cool Croatian ensemble I play with every year just released a video we shot a couple years ago. One of my favourite pieces of music from the early 17th century. It's scored for 6 parts (and can be done with any mix of voices and low-ish instruments, as is done here, as all the parts are texted and within normal soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass ranges), but the composer specifies that it's actually conceived for soprano solo and 5 trombones!!! And he also offers the option to transpose it down further by a fifth and then do it with alto solo (in which case the bass part is in the basso profundo range with written several low A's, and two or three of the five trombones must be bass trombones). Which is just absolutely glorious.

Here it is in the normal transposition, with soprano, tenor, gamba and three trombones.

Wow, I really love that sound!

It's such a highly specialized sound, yet I can only imagine that it's seriously under appreciated.

[harrisonreed]

That sounds fantastic. The whole ensemble is fantastic as one unit, but the human voice is sublime.

[Soulbrass]

I listened, looked, and learned…and came away much better for the experience! Thank you for sharing and the background info! Beautiful!

Are all of those period instruments?

[Doug Elliott]

Where would one get the music for that?

[Posaunus]

Are all of those period instruments?

By period instruments, do you mean authentic instruments made in the early 17th century, or are you asking if the trombones (and portative organ) are more modern replicas built to match the designs, materials, and techniques of that time?

In any case, it's not very important to me - the sound and playing appear to be quite authentic and very tasteful. I've now listened (and watched the video) four times, and still enjoy it immensely!

Hvala ti, Maximilien!

[Soulbrass]

Are all of those period instruments?

By period instruments, do you mean authentic instruments made in the early 17th century, or are you asking if the trombones (and portative organ) are more modern replicas built to match the designs, materials, and techniques of that time?

In any case, it's not very important to me - the sound and playing appear to be quite authentic and very tasteful. I've now listened (and watched the video) four times, and still enjoy it immensely!

Hvala ti, Maximilien!

Either…just curious.

[LeTromboniste]

Are all of those period instruments?

The trombones are all copies of instruments made between the 1590s and 1630s.

Where would one get the music for that?

This piece is in Linda Pearse's Seventeenth-century Italian Motets with Trombones at A-R Editions. I believe that editor might also have it available as a single piece than can be bought separately. I'm pretty sure the original 17th-century print is also available for free online

[PhilG]

Wonderful sounds - thank you for sharing this, Maximilien.