Review

Axel Jørgensen
24 Improvisations :

Copenhagen, , Denmark
Publisher: Edition Wilhelm Hansen
Date of Publication: 2013

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

Axel Jørgensen (1881-1947) was a violinist/violist and composer who worked most of his career as a violist in the Royal Danish Orchestra in Copenhagen.  He was a good friend of the orchestra’s solo trombonist Anton Hansen, who no doubt inspired him to write a number of works for trombone. Two of these are still in the repertoire to this day including the Romance for Trombone and Piano and the Suite for Trombone and Orchestra (Piano).
 
The 24 Improvisations (etudes) were originally composed for inclusion in Danish trombonist Anton Hansen’s method book, Trombone School, first published in 1941. The piano parts were not included in this publication. The last revision and update to Hansen’s Method did away with these etudes entirely. Trombone Professor of the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Niels-Ole Bo Johanson, has both restored/edited these and also recorded them, with the original piano parts, in spectacular fashion on CDKLASSISK CDK 1058-60 (www.cdclassiskdk).
 
These brief gems are conceived in a thoroughly romantic language and vary in length from less than a minute to slightly over two minutes. Covering a myriad of styles, keys, musical and technical challenges, they are appropriate as lesson material; singular recital encores, or collected into a suite. In alto and tenor clef, they are modest in their technical demands but greatly rewarding musically.

-Karl Hinterbichler
University of New Mexico