Review

Luigi Benigno
Masoral:

, United States
Publisher: Manuscript
Date of Publication: 2014
URL: http://www.luigibenignocomposer.it

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - unaccompanied

Luigi Benigno was born in Belmonte Mezzagno, Sicily and attended the V. Bellini Conservatory studying both flute and composition. Internationally renowned as a composer, his works have been performed in subscription concerts by the world’s major orchestras. His output ranges from solo works for instruments, including an earlier work for solo trombone titled Spnaus, chamber music, and large scale scores for orchestra and chorus. Most recently his choral work, Shoah, became part of the Auschwitz Museum, and received a commendation from Yad Vashem in Israel and the Holocaust Museum Institute in New York.
 
Masoral was written for and premiered by Massimo la Rosa, principal trombone of the Cleveland Orchestra. He and the composer come from the same town in Sicily. The title of the work is actually Larosa M spelled backwards. It is divided into four short, continuous sections titled Pictures, each conveying a different energy and mood. The composer states that it must be interpreted like a musical play with the performer joyfully displaying her (his) skills. The writing is tonal, melodically inventive, rhythmically straightforward, and idiomatic; with no extended techniques employed. It does require a performer with superior musical intuition, excellent technical skills, solid high range, good dynamic control and flexibility. Massimo la Rosa possesses all of these in droves, as evidenced by his excellent performance of this work as recorded on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnno1Q-O81s)
 
This is good music, a noteworthy addition to the solo trombone repertoire. In a traditional musical language, it showcases the musical, lyrical and virtuoso capabilities of the instrument. It is beautifully printed and available from the composer at benignoluigi@alice.it or his website: http://www.luigibenignocomposer.it

-Karl Hinterbichler
University of New Mexico