Review

Wayne Siegel
Road Movie:

Vancouver, BC, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2007
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 9+ trombones (choir)

Wayne Siegel’s Road Movie is a three-movement work commissioned by Niels-Ole Bo Johansen, and was premiered at the International Trombone Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2008. It is a twenty-three minute work appropriate for advanced players and requires an ensemble capable of playing from CC to e2. Siegel uses a 16-part trombone ensemble to create a score full of captivating, dramatic and light-hearted moments to represent scenes from an imaginary film. 
  
The first movement, A.M., depicts an early morning on a country highway. Upbeat, familiar material from James Brown is quoted throughout the movement, which ends with loud, boisterous chords. 

Canyon Canon is meant to portray a landscape inspired by the Grand Canyon. To accomplish this, Siegel writes a canon offset by a single beat that cascades from the top voice to the bottom, often overlapping the next idea before the completion of the first. This technique succeeds in creating a mesmerizing cacophony of sound and color, but at a length of nearly twelve minutes, the novelty eventually fades.

The final movement of Road Movie is titled Highway. It is highly programmatic and requires extended techniques, e.g. players are instructed to simulate air horns, revving diesel engines, air brakes, etc. After a slow introduction, the piece transitions into an “Easy Rider Blues.” This relaxed atmosphere does not linger, however, instead giving way to a dark, ominous character. The pace continually accelerates while weaving through constant key changes punctuated by glissandi and dissonances. This acceleration leads to a “Head-on collision” in which the driver pays the ultimate price. As an epilogue, Siegel presents a hymn-like setting of Amazing Grace to bring his imaginary film to a close.

-Joseph Frye
The University of Tennessee at Martin