Brandon Nelson

IMAGO DEI

Bizzarie di varie figure (woodwind quintet)

Commissioned by Lisa Hanson-Bartholow for the Peachtree Consort (Atlanta, GA).

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Giovanni Battista Bracelli (1584-1609) was an Italian engraver and painter of the Baroque period. He is best known for his book of prints: Bizzarie di varie figure, published in 1624 in Livorno, and dedicated to Don Pietro Medici. The depiction of a variety of human shapes aggregated from a variety of objects or landscapes appears prescient of modern cubist experiments. Some of the figures are composed of boxes or raquets or curlicues.

In this piece, I endeavored to illustrate in sound these beautiful, strange images. Traditional resources are used in unusual ways to depict for the listener what Bracelli so masterfully did in visual.

Get the music here!

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3 responses to “Bizzarie di varie figure (woodwind quintet)”

  1. iris jiang Avatar
    iris jiang

    I like very much this piece of Bracelli, and will try to read your music. Thank you !

    Reply
  2. Chamber Works for Woodwinds – Brandon Nelson Avatar
    Chamber Works for Woodwinds – Brandon Nelson

    […] Bizzarie di varie figure (woodwind quintet) – available for purchase soon! […]

    Reply
  3. Updates, updates, updates! – Brandon Nelson Avatar
    Updates, updates, updates! – Brandon Nelson

    […] 3/20/23 – engraved, posted to Sheetmusicplus.com, and uploaded a demo recording of Bizzarie di Varie Figure! […]

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