Review

Adolphus Hailstork
John Henry’s Big (Man vs. Machine):

Bryn Mawr, PA, United States
Publisher: Theodore Presser Company
Date of Publication: 2012
URL: http://www.presser.com

Piano score and solo part

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

Written for University of Michigan trombone professor, David Jackson, Aldophus Hailstork’s composition is a substantial addition to the trombone repertoire. Based on the legend of the “steel-drivin’ man,” John Henry and his epic and fatal contest with a machine, the work uses quotes from the spiritual Every Time I Feel the Spirit and the folk song The Ballad of John Henry in an intricate rhythmic setting to create an exciting new concert work.
 
The piece opens with a broad and dramatic solo passage followed by a lengthy, highly energetic and rhythmic middle section ending with a slow closing passage as John Henry expires. The middle section involves constantly shifting meters with a lot of driving sixteenths at 112 to the quarter note. The language is tonal and approachable. The range extends from C to b-flat1 and requires significant agility and skilled articulation in the lower register. Although the range is not extreme, this is virtuoso stuff in terms of stamina as there is little rest for the soloist. The complexity of the changing meters will require serious preparation, significant rehearsal and an excellent pianist. Aldophus Hailstork’s John Henry’s Big (Man vs. Machine) should provide the advanced trombonist with a challenging project to reward the soloist and the audience.

-Andrew Glendening
University of Redlands