Review

Sheet music reviews: Six Brass Cats for B-flat trumpet, cornet or flugelhorn and piano

Kevin Street reviews Kristina Arakelyan's Six Brass Cats for B-flat trumpet, cornet or flugelhorn with piano

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The Armenian-British composer and pianist Kristina Arakelyan has been described as a ‘rising star’ (BBC Music Magazine). In recent years she’s been nominated for an Ivors Composer Award and had works performed at the Proms. She teaches composition at the Junior Royal Academy.

Six Brass Cats is a set of well-crafted musical miniatures for trumpet, cornet or flugelhorn (with piano accompaniment), and is aimed at the young developing brass player. Most of the material is of Grade 2–3 standard in terms of range and duration, although the final piece in the book, ‘Luna’s Waltz’, is closer to Grade 5.

Each piece has its own dedicated cartoon cat pictured next to the title, which helps to characterise the music and provides the young player with a bit of fun as they explore the book. So, for example, ‘Colonel Whiskers’ is a jaunty march while ‘Oscar’s Kool’ purrs along with a swing jazz groove.

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