Review

Claude Debussy
General Lavine, eccentric:

Arranged by Ralph Sauer


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

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

General Lavine, eccentric is an arrangement of a keyboard work from Debussy’s second book of piano preludes. The brief composition is a musical portrait of the American clown Edward Lavine, an internationally celebrated vaudeville performer of the early 20th century. Lavine’s performances included being “part juggler, part clown, both tramp and soldier, dressed in a bizarre costume which… made him appear nine feet tall” (Roberts, Images: The Piano Music of Claude Debussy, p.222). The music is written in the style of a cakewalk, a theatrical dance developed by slaves on Southern plantations, which may have been a parody of the white slaveholders’ ‘fancy dances.’ This arrangement is presented in the same key as the original and the melodic line transfers fairly well to the trombone slide. The fundamental performance challenge originates from the wide range of pitches utilized, often extending into the valve-range register throughout the composition. The solo trombone covers over four octaves, from FF to a-flat1, with the majority of pitches also encompassing a wide range, from C to e1. The availability of an instrument with an F-attachment is a necessity. The most prominent technical challenge is a recurring ‘bugle-call’ incorporating a 32nd-note triplet figure with a descending octave leap. The exposed figure is a prominent occurrence in the composition and proper placement of the event within the ensemble will need attention. There is, however, ample opportunity for interpretive exploration which may also assist in managing the technical difficulty. This publication is appropriate for use by either the advanced tenor or bass trombonist. Overall, the arrangement is a welcome addition to the choices of lighter, yet satisfying, musical selections for performance or pleasure.

-Kevin Chiarizzio
Liberty University