Review

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Sinfonia in F:

Arranged by Ralph Sauer

Trombone and piano (or harpsichord)

Vancouver, BC, , Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2017
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and solo part

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

The well-known Sinfonia in F, originally for cello, has been frequently performed by trombonists over the past few decades. With the previous edition now out of print, this new arrangement by Ralph Sauer seeks to make the piece available again. In addition, Mr. Sauer updated some of the notation and made corrections from the older edition. This new version is clean and easy to read. The placement of ornaments and markings are much more clear, which eases the task for those learning to read and interpret Baroque music.

 

The work itself is frequently-performed for a number of reasons. It is a good representation of the Baroque style, with elegant slower melodies, energetic quick melodic events in the fast movements, and standard Baroque ornaments. The range, from e up to c2, with an additional ad libitum section designating d2, requires a strong player with good control. Notated in tenor clef throughout, its range, many ornaments and disjunct melodic events makes this piece most suitable for college-level performance and higher, although strong high school level players could learn the piece with proper instruction.

 

The Sinfonia in F is cast in a standard four-movement Baroque structure, slow-fast-slow-fast. Mr. Sauer states in the forward to the piece that other than a few minor corrections he did not alter the first three movements. The main difference in this new edition is in the final Allegro, where the melody traditionally found in the solo part is instead given to the accompaniment. Mr. Sauer relates that this is for reasons both musical--to change the tone colors in the melody--and practical--to allow the trombonist some brief rest. For those that may disagree with the change, he includes a new engraving of the fourth movement in the original form. This new edition of the work is a welcome addition to the Baroque repertoire for trombone. The piece is available for instant download from CherryClassics.com.