Review

Xavier Montsalvatge
Questions and Answers:
2 trumpets in C, horn in F, trombone, tuba

London, , United Kingdom
Publisher: Novello & Company Limited
Date of Publication: 1987

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Brass Ensemble - 5 brass

Xavier Montsalvatge (1912-2002), one of the most distinguished Spanish composers of the 20th Century, was born in Gerona and received his musical education at the Barcelona Conservatory. His early compositional influences were Stravinsky, the French Les Six and Spanish nationalists such as Albeniz and Falla. Later his works were also colored by Catalan folk music and music from the West Indies. In the late 1960’s he departed from what can be described as his neo-classic/neo-romantic style and began writing works that were more adventurous harmonically, rhythmically and in terms of color. But he never entirely abandoned the tonality, evocative colors and lyricism of his earlier music. He composed over one hundred works covering the whole range of musical genres including symphonies, opera, ballet, chamber music, concerti, songs and film music. He won numerous honors and prizes during his lifetime.

Questions and Answers was written in 1980 for the London Gabrieli Brass Ensemble. It draws on the composer’s keen interest in early music. This work is an extended fantasy based on Andrea Gabrieli’s Ricercare del duodecimi toni. The quintet begins with only the tuba on-stage intoning a phrase from the Gabrieli. The horn is then heard off-stage as an echo accompanying the tuba. After the horn enters the stage we hear the trumpets and trombone off-stage. Gradually the entire quintet is brought on-stage. The work concludes with only the first trumpet on-stage accompanied by the rest of the quintet, which is off-stage. The music is entirely based on various fragments from the Gabrieli. The composer makes no unreasonable technical or ensemble demands on the performers. Individual parts are entirely idiomatic (with the exception of some questionable trombone glissandi) and include interesting textures and colors. An advanced college level ensemble can perform this without problems. It is especially effective when preceded by a performance of the Gabrieli. This is finely crafted music by an excellent composer. It deserves the attention of all brass quintets interested in chamber music. A number of excellent professional brass quintets have this work in their repertoire including the Onyx Brass and Gabrieli Brass from Britain and the Spanish Brass (Luur metals).

-Karl Hinterbichler
University of New Mexico