Review

Carlo Gesualdo de Venosa
Tu Piangi, O Filli Mia (1611): for Trombone Quintet

Arranged by William Combs

Alto, 3 tenors (one in tenor clef), bass trombone

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2022
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 5 trombones

From 1594-1611, Carlo Gesualdo wrote six books of secular madrigals, each book containing 15-25 separate works for five unaccompanied voices. Tu Piangi, O Filli Mia is from his sixth book, published in 1611. The Italian text expresses love and longing.

William Combs's arrangement for trombone quintet preserves the original form, melody, harmony, rhythm, and tempi. The key center is transposed a fifth lower, from g minor to c minor, which lays better in the trombone tessitura. Beginning with andante homorhythmic material, the arrangement has five sections that alternate between slow and rubato to more energetic and polyphonic material. The work is through composed except for the last rapid section, which repeats once. All style terms are in Italian.

The arrangement provides parts in ATBBB or TTBBB clefs. The first part ranges from g to d2. The middle tenor parts range from G to a1. The bass trombone part ranges from C to g. The piece is notated in cut time, although some sections are to be felt in four. The rhythmic activity ranges from slow to very rapid in the final section. No mutes are needed.

Gesualdo’s harmony is uncommonly adventurous for his time, likely an attempt to paint the text with striking colors. The piece can be performed as one on a part or by a larger group. It would be accessible to college level and beyond.