An investigation of the musical characteristics of two brass quintets from the 1990s by Robert Suderburg and an assessment of their validity for inclusion in musical performance

Robert Suderburg is an American-born musical composer who briefly gained popularity with his two trumpet solo works written for the International Trumpet Guild in the 1980s. He was commissioned by the New Mexico and Florida State Brass Quintets to compose three separate original works throughout the 1990s; Entertainment Sets, Strophes of the Night and Dawn, After Baudelaire, and Concerto Passages. This project focuses on two of Suderburg’s quintets that are currently published, discussing the various musical traits and pointing out noticeable musical features and observations for the audience to adhere to during musical performances, which include extended techniques. The research includes interviewing two individuals who oversaw the commission process of these works; Dr. Kurt Hinterbichler and Dr. Bryan Goff, a review of Suderburg’s archives located at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and analyzing the musical features of the quintets in review. These quintets are then placed in comparison to Eric Ewazen’s Frostfire, a work that premiered within the same time frame as Suderburg’s works in the early 1990s. The six comparison points between Suderburg’s quintets and Ewazen’s Frostfire show how Ewazen’s music is more accessible in musical performance. The overall assessment of Suderburg’s works shows that his quintets pose considerable musical challenges for the performers and audiences. However, advanced student-led ensembles would be able to undertake the challenges and use various movements of Suderburg’s works as independent pieces.