Review

Alexander Borodin
Chorus and Dance of the Polovetsian Maidens from Prince Igor, Act II : for trombone and piano

Arranged by Ralph Sauer


Vancouver, BC, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2012
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

Prince Igor is an opera in four acts written and composed by Russian Romantic composer Alexander Borodin. When Borodin died in 1887, after working on the opera for over a decade, Prince Igor was edited and completed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov and premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1890. Chorus of the Polovetsian Maidens is heard at the beginning of Act II, followed by No.8: The Dance of the Polovetsian Maidens. The popular Polovetsian Dances heard at the end of Act II are often performed in a concert setting and do not include the Chorus and Dance of the Polovetsian Maidens. Ralph Sauer’s arrangement captures the beauty of the original work and gives the trombonist the opportunity to express lyrical and technical abilities. This rendering is written primarily in tenor clef, covers a range from B-flat up to c2, retains the original key of both Chorus and Dance, and includes the original tempi and expression markings given by Borodin. In Chorus, marked Andantino con moto, the trombonist plays the mysterious Eastern-sounding solo aria, while the accompanist covers the roles of the chorus and orchestra. Chorus is followed immediately by Dance, marked Presto, where the trombonist plays the quick triplet melody found predominantly in the clarinet parts of the original score. In order to perform Dance at the tempo indicated in the original, dotted half note=100, the trombonist will likely need to utilize a quick triple tongue. Sauer’s arrangement is accessible to advanced performers and makes an exciting opener or closer to any recital.

-Russell Ballenger
University of Mary