Review

Ottorino Respighi
Pines of the Appian Way from “Pines of Rome”: for 10-part trombone ensemble with timpani

Arranged by Randall Malmstrom


Vancouver, BC, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2014
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 9+ trombones (choir)

Ottorino Respighi’s magnificent “Pines of the Appian Way” is a triumph of the orchestral literature and this arrangement of its finale, “Pines of Rome,” for no less than ten trombones does not disappoint. When playing this one can truly envision the subject of Respighi’s inspiration; an ancient army lumbering through the morning mists when suddenly the sun rises, casting its glorious light on the pines that line the Appian Way and the city of Rome in the distance. This version does not deviate in form from the original score. It is divided into two, five-part choirs that use tenor clef for the top five parts. It is awesome to hear trombones play lines that would normally be played by the solo winds, such as the English horn. The range is quite expansive, all the way up to d2 and down to FF in bass trombone 2, which is written in octaves with bass trombone 1 at the end of the closing B-flat major section. Like the original orchestration, the gradual thickening of the texture to the exciting climax is accomplished by gradually adding voices, sometimes in pairs, until the trombone ensemble is playing tutti. The timpani part is a necessity; after all, this is a march! Take note, the outer voices are the most challenging parts and not having strong players on those parts will exacerbate the difficulty of this work. At times, optional 8vb passages are included in the inner parts to help less strong players execute a difficult phrase accurately. The neat presentation, which we have grown so accustomed to seeing from Cherry Classics publications, is evident here and if I might add, especially important in a dense work such as this.

-Tom Pylinski
Malone University