Claude Debussy: Minstrels for brass sextet

Claude Debussy: Minstrels – for brass sextet arr. Paul Krzywicki

Paul Krzywicki’s arrangement of Debussy ‘s Minstrels for brass sextet

In 2020 Saker Music published Minstrels as part of the five ‘Debussy Preludes for brass sextet’ series. These Debussy Brass Sextets are arrangements by Paul Krzywicki, former principal tuba of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and tuba professor at the Curtis Institute of Music.

The brass sextet repertoire is growing.

Luckily the brass sextet repertoire is growing because of these pieces. In other words we have good news for brass players around the world who have been waiting for a similar addition to the very limited brass sextet repertoire. These sextets are perfect for chamber music assignments on high school and college levels, but also good for professional recitals.
The Debussy Preludes are nice introductions for students to the more difficult brass sextet repertoire. For example the Böhme Sextet. Through these Debussy Brass Sextets students can learn the basics of playing in a chamber group. But most importantly: really learn how to operate as a group.

Debussy’s Minstrels is arranged for  two trumpets in C, horn in F, trombone, euphonium and tuba.

Other Debussy preludes for brass sextets:

In the meanwhile here you can find more sheet music of Debussy’s Brass Sextet arrangements by Paul Krzywicki:
Canope for Brass Sextet
Hommage à S. Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C. for Brass Sextet
Minstrels for Brass Sextet
La fille aux cheveux de lin for Brass Sextet
Général Lavine – eccentric for Brass Sextet

The original version

Claude Debussy’s Préludes are 24 pieces originally for solo piano, and divided into two books of 12 preludes each. The prelude books were written in a matter of months, at an unusually fast pace for Debussy. Book I. was composed between December 1909 and February 1910, and Book II between the last months of 1912 and early April 1913. Minstrels is part of Book I.