A woodwind quintet version (with optional soloists and continuo and with
options of using alto flute, oboe d�amore, cor Anglais, and clarinets in Bb
or A) of the Sch�tz Sinfonia from "Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz"
has be uploaded. The format is .pdf. The file size is 291KB. It can be found
at these addresses:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YorkMasterBBb/files/Heinrich%20Sch%80%A0%A0%FC
tz%20Jesu%207%20Worte%20am%20Kreuz%20Sinfonia%20Woodwind5.pdf

or

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YorkMasterBBb/files/


The preface will be quoted at the end of this posting.

Enjoy!

Klaus


Sinfonia
from �Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz�
(Dresden 1645)
by Heinrich Sch�tz (1585 - 1672)
Arranged by Klaus Bjerre (2003) for the standard woodwind quintet: flute (or
alto flute), oboe (or oboe d�amore or cor Anglais), clarinet (in Bb or A),
horn, and bassoon.
with optional solo duets of violins, flutes, oboes, or horns and an optional
guitar continuo

This is the Sinfonia of a cantata. The original setting was for SATTB viols.
Here these viol parts have been set for wood-wind quintet. The second viol
part descends below the range of the oboe. In bar #15 two notes have been
transposed up an octave with very little negative effect. However, for
quintets having an oboe d�amore or a cor Anglais available there have been
relevant versions included, which also open up for the choice between flute
and alto flute in G and between clarinets in Bb or A. The original key of E
minor concert has been kept.

Settings for 5 horns in F and for brass quintet have been made available at
the same website as this setting. A setting for recorder ensemble is in the
planning. All versions will be compatible for performances in larger mixed
ensembles. When all versions are made available, church ensembles should be
able to compile their own ad hoc, but well balanced, versions. Balance is a
major consideration in the performance of music intended for the very
homogeneous, yet very colourful, en-semble of viols.

This Sinfonia has a great beauty in its own right. However this arranger
cannot avoid hearing improvisations and embel-lishments when working with
music of this era. The solution has been to add an optional solo duet. This
duet can be pairs of violins, flutes, or oboes. Mixed duets certainly would
work beautifully, if the balance situation will be considered. An oboe on
the first solo part and a flute on the second would not be a good idea. As
wouldn�t a performance with one soloist only. Another potential solo pair
might be two horns. A two part score for such solo horns is provided. The
option of horn soloists can only be applied with two horn players. A horn
entering a mixed soloists� pair would be a bad idea. However the combination
of a woodwind quintet might not be the happiest one, just ask the flute
player (but this arrangement is part of a series planned to be compatible
all the way round). No type of quintet should sacrifice any of the original
5 parts for the sake of being able to cover the soloists� parts. These
latter ones of course could be considered embellishments of the original
quintet, but not of two specific parts.

For the 5 woodwind quintet instruments no individual parts are provided,
only a 2 page performance score (here in 3 ver-sions addressing the choices
of instrument by the flute, oboe and clarinet players. Which implies, that
the quintet members not necessarily play from identically transposed
scores). 

In accordance with the notation practise of this early renaissance era no
dynamics or articulations are given. The perform-ers should not misjudge
this as an opportunity to play dull run-of-the-mill notes. The contrapuntal
texture calls for a great mutual respect. Especially up-beat notes, wherever
they may be placed in the bar, should be played detached, and an em-phasis
should be given to the following longer main notes. If this piece is
performed as a quintet, the playing style should be less legato-tenuto, than
when soloists are added. Dynamics should rather tend towards the softer
shadings. And the flute part shall be played loco no matter which ideas the
flutist might want to promote.

The guitar continuo part can be played from the notes in the staff or from
the chord symbols. Attention should be paid to the avoidance of the lowest
guitar note descending below the line of the bassoon part.

Would this arranger protest a symphonic woodwind quintet performing this
arrangement asking their harp colleague to perform the continuo part?
Hardly! A modern grand piano as continuo instrument would constitute an
overkill, whereas a well reading pianist might very well perform the solo
voices from the oboe soloists� score.

This arrangement can be used free of charge, but a postcard or an e-mail
reporting on readings and performances would be nice.

_______________________________________________
post: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org

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