Top 20 Brass Trios
67
Original Works for Brass Trio
The following is a list of original brass trio literature I have compiled in the process of playing in a faculty brass trio and coordinating brass chamber music at the university level. As a university brass chamber coach, I generally try to steer students to play in a brass quintet, since that is the standard brass chamber grouping. However, sometimes a quintet is not possible logistically, and the brass trio is normally a good alternative.
There is actually a surprising amount of good recent literature for brass trio. Several well-regarded brass composers (e.g., Ewazen, Plog, Sampson, and Schnyder) have written trios within the last 10 years, adding significantly to a repertoire that only a generation ago consisted almost exclusively of the Poulenc Sonata for Brass Trio .
Difficulty for most of the pieces is at the college-to-professional level, although a few works may be within the reach of an exceptional high school trio. In contrast to my brass quintet list, I have chosen to exclude transcriptions and arrangements from this list, primarily because there are not many that are established standards in the repertoire.
The works are listed by composer in alphabetical order. Instrumentation is the standard brass trio grouping of trumpet, horn, and trombone, unless otherwise noted.
The List
Bassett, Leslie. Brass Trio
Ewazen, Eric. Philharmonic Fanfare
Frackenpohl, Arthur. Trio
Gabaye, Pierre. Recréation (trio plus piano)
Hartley, Walter. Two Pastiches
Hidas, Frigyes. Triga for Brass Trio
Hutchison, Warner. Mini-Suite for Brass Trio
Koetsier, Jan. Figaro Metamorphosen
Louel, Jean. Trio
Muczynski, Robert. Voyages for Brass Trio
Nelhybel, Vaclav. Trio
Plog, Anthony. Trio
Plog, Anthony. Triple Concerto (trio plus piano or orchestra)
Poulenc, Francis. Sonata
Reynolds, Verne. Trio
Sampson, David. Duncan Trio
Sanders, Robert. Trio
Schnyder, Daniel. Trio
Stevens, John. Triangles
Tull, Fisher. Trio
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very good hub. Keep writting.
Thanks, LadyE and triosol! Thanks for your encouragement. I was kind of excited to be able to fine a picture to go along with the hub.
Thank you for this list!
I feel Nelhybel should be on this list!
I really enjoy playing Brass Trio, no place to hide, and harder to make sound good than brass quintet.
If you are interrested I have some transcriptions for brass trio on my sibelius music site: http://members.sibeliusmusic.com/cae
Soon to be added: Grieg - funeral march, Bach-toccata and fugue in dm
Christian, thanks for your comment. The Nelhybel is on there--you may have just missed it. Thanks for the link to your trio transcriptions!
With interest I have read the list above and the comment.
I play for about 5 years now in a Dutch based brasstrio.
Many of the compositions mentioned above we have been
performing. I can add a few more compositions:
- Trio David Uber
- Divertimenti Mozart & Haydn, arranged by Mordechai Rechtman (Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Telaviv)
- Trio opus 87 L. van Beethoven (King pub.)
- Sonatina Flothuis (Dutch composer)
- Intrada Marco de Goeij (2007 Dutch composer,
this piece we perform on youtube)
- An American Trio G.A. Swarts
On the website www.continuousbrass.nl you may find
more compositions.
With kind regards,
Theo Hartman
trumpeter
Lady_E Level 7 Commenter 20 months ago
Very interesting and Unique Hub.