FEATURES OF THE FORMATION OF BRASS QUINTET PERFORMANCE OF THE XX–XXI CENTURIES

Abstract

The article examines the historical prerequisites for the formation and the specific features of the development of brass quintet performance in the 20th and 21st centuries. It is established that the formation of the brass quintet resulted from a long-term process of development of brass instruments, improvement of their construction, and the search for an optimal ensemble configuration. An important stage in the development of brass instruments was the improvement of valve mechanisms, which expanded their technical and sound capabilities and created the prerequisites for further development of ensemble performance and its repertoire. Ensemble performance on brass instruments is characterized by a considerable variety of ensemble configurations and forms of artistic activity, among which the brass quintet occupies a special place. The prerequisites for its formation date back to the 19th century, whereas its modern standard instrumentation and professional performance model were established in the mid-20th century. The article traces the main stages in the formation of brass quintet performance and identifies the characteristic tendencies of its development. Particular attention is paid to the formation of the standard instrumental composition of the brass quintet, the main directions of repertoire development, and the transformation of concert and performance practices. The expansion of the genre and stylistic scope of the repertoire is analyzed, encompassing original works, transcriptions, and arrangements of music from different historical periods and stylistic traditions. The activities of leading foreign brass quintets are examined, highlighting their contribution to establishing the ensemble as an independent form of chamber music-making, developing professional performance practice, and promoting brass quintet music among a broad audience. Particular attention is also given to contemporary Ukrainian brass quintet performance, including the activities of professional ensembles, their repertoire, and the use of works by Ukrainian composers and transcriptions of Ukrainian musical heritage. It is determined that the development of brass quintet performance in the 20th and 21st centuries has been characterized not only by the stabilization of its instrumental composition but also by the continuous expansion of its repertoire, genre and stylistic diversity, and concert-performance possibilities.