Review

Georges Bizet
Chants du Rhin:

Arranged by Ralph Sauer


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

Piano score and solo part

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

Originally for solo piano, Ralph Sauer scored these Rhine river melodies for tenor trombone and piano accompaniment. Chants du Rhin takes the form of a song cycle without words. Its narrative is based on a collection of poems written by Joseph Méry. This transcription is best suited to anyone with a strong high register and effortless command of legato, intervallic leaps. The trombone part spans a range from E to d-flat2 and is written mostly in tenor clef.
 
Mr. Sauer’s version stays faithful to the piano version. No significant material has been added or removed from any of the movements, and they are even set in their original keys. While the trombone adds a nice dimension of color and dynamic nuance sometimes lacking in the solo piano version, it also occasionally introduces the problem of covering up the accompaniment due to the frequent need for octave displacement.
 
Score and parts are well laid out visually, editing is thorough, and all page turns and line-breaks are placed logically. It provides an excellent opportunity for any trombonist to explore this often neglected gem from the solo piano repertoire.

-Greg Strohman
Dickinson College