Review

Dan Kramer
When the Mood Takes You : for horn, trombone, and tuba
horn, trombone, and tuba

Louisville, KY, United States
Publisher: Potenza Music Publishing
Date of Publication: 2013
URL: http://www.potenzamusic.com

Primary Genre: Brass Ensemble - 3 brass

When the Mood Takes You is a new composition by Dan Kramer, a tubist and composer currently residing in Los Angeles who has composition degrees from Western Michigan University and Columbia College of Chicago. His stated goal is to bring the music of film and concert settings closer together.  When the Mood Takes You is a three-movement brass trio for the less often used instrumentation of horn, trombone and tuba. Stated by the composer: 

“When the Mood Takes You provides a snapshot of different emotional states I sometimes find myself in. Anxiety is often fed by mixtures of fear, excitement, and mystery, which are each explored throughout the movement. Impatient is a lighter, humorous mimicking of the hustle and bustle of everyday life and how we tend to be impatient when we are sometimes required to wait for things. The Reflective movement is the antithesis of this, as it is a depiction of taking a step back along with a deep breath, and looking inward for a moment to think introspectively on life.”  

As one might surmise Anxious is divided into four sections with transitions and can feel from a performance perspective somewhat disjointed. I do believe this is the intent however. The second movement, quarter note=160, is technically challenging especially for horn and trombone, but both the performer and audience are rewarded with interesting textures, inventive interplay, and a vivid picture of impatience. My favorite of the movements is the third, Reflective. The robust and rich sonorities of the instruments are evident throughout the movement at both piano and forte dynamics. It is a breathing and sostenuto challenge for all three parts but again the result is worthy of the effort. It is also particularly laudable that both composer and publisher allow the work to conclude with the slowest and softest movement rather than acquiescing to common practice of a fast-slow-fast, three-movement work. All three parts require mute and their technical and range requirements are suitable for college level performers. Parts are clearly notated on quality paper. My only concern comes in the second movement trombone part where only one measure is given to turn over the page.

This is an interesting and welcomed addition to the relatively small genre of tuba, trombone and horn trios. I highly recommend this work for college instructors looking for mixed chamber music for their brass students, brass students searching for chamber recital repertoire and professionals looking to expand their chamber music experience. I am looking forward to more work from this composer. 

-Thomas Zugger
Capital University