Review

Francis Poulenc
The Bestiary: for tuba or bass 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 Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with piano

Ralph Sauer has added to his extensive collection of arrangements for Cherry Classics Music with The Bestiary, a cycle of six songs by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) with poems by Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918). Le Bestiare ou Cortège d’Orphée was originally published in 1911 as a collection of 30 poems with woodcuts by the French painter Raoul Dufy. The six poems Poulenc chose to set are wide ranging in mood and character; his music reflects on each text convincingly.   

The Dromedary – Transposed up a minor third form the original, the opening song is the only one in the cycle where Sauer added significant material outside of the original vocal line. Specifically, there are numerous g to G glissandi that correspond with a similar figure in the piano part. These should be performed with the thought of a caravan of camels lumbering slowly across the desert sands. There are also an additional four measures at the end of the song, performed faster, that are not from the vocal part.

The Goat – This eight-measure song is taken directly from the vocal part without any alterations except that it has been transposed a minor third up from the original. 

The Grasshopper – The shortest song of the group at only four measures, its second phrase has been lowered an octave to accommodate tuba. Bass trombone players may want to play that line back up an octave as it goes nicely with the text. This song has also been transposed up a minor third from the original.

The Dolphin – This is the quickest song in the group, played with the quarter note at 136. It is also performed exactly as it appears in the vocal part outside of the transposition up a minor third.

The Crayfish – This song appears almost exactly as it does in the original vocal part with the exception of a few grace notes. Sauer has chosen to transpose this one up a major second instead of a minor third.

The Carp – Ending on a sorrowful note, the final song asks the carp if death has passed it by while it patiently swam in “tranquil pools.” This one is also transposed up a major second from the original and is taken note for note from the vocal part with the addition of a pianissimo b-flat on the final chord.    

Taken as a whole, this music is approachable and does not make extraordinary demands of the performers. While the melodic range is high for tuba, it is quite reasonable for the bass trombonist, D to d-flat1. Key signatures are friendly; the solo part is given entirely in bass clef, and the whole cycle comes in at around five minutes in length. The greatest challenge will likely come in interpreting the songs in a way that brings the animals to life without the support of the text. Perhaps with that in mind, Mr. Sauer suggests that the performer announce the animal’s name before each movement. It is also recommended that the text for each poem be printed in the recital program. A thorough study of vocalists performing the work will also be helpful.

-Eric High
St. Norbert College