Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi was an Italian composer known for his balletti and other dance forms. His instrumental music and his religious music are often neglected. This arrangement of his Magnificat, for 8-part brass choir, shows his writing at its best. The ensemble is split into two four-part groups that Gastoldi uses as spacial groups. He worked at the Mantuan court and had access to some spectacular spaces in which to experiment with sound.

With this in mind, I have chosen to arrnage the groups as follows: Choir I: 2 cornets/trumpets, Horn, Euphonium; Choir 2: 1 cornet, 1 horn, 1 trombone and Tuba. Each choir in the original had an SATB set and I have tried to ensure that here. Alternative parts are provided to make the arrangement as flexible as possible.

Choir 1: Part 1 - Bb Part 2 - Bb/Eb/F Part 3 - Bb/Eb/F Part 4 - Bb/Eb/C (Bass clef)

Choir 2: Part 1 - Bb Part 2 - Eb/F Part 3 - Bb/Eb/F Part 4 - Bb/Eb/C (Bass clef)

As with much of Gastoldi’s music, his keen sense of tonality comes through, but in a more restrained way than in the madrigals and balletti. This is, after all, church music. It is a fine addition to any programme.

The score is in landscape format and the parts are portrait.