Review

Lennie Niehaus
Prankster:

Delevan, NY, United States
Publisher: Kendor Music
Date of Publication: 2010
URL: http://www.kendormusic.com

Primary Genre: Elementary Material - solo
Secondary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

Prankster is a characteristic solo composition for developing musicians. Technical demands are nominal as the melodic and rhythmic vocabulary is necessarily restricted for the intended demographic. Rhythmic values of the melody have been restricted to the dotted-quarter and eighth, quarter, and half-note durations with the inclusion of a couple pairs of eighth-notes toward the end for good measure. The piano part, likewise, consists of mostly half-note and quarter-note triads. The B-flat major tune encompasses a narrow range of diatonic pitches between f and d1, with an optional d as the final pitch. The solo is written in rondo form allowing for both repetition and variety. A touch more diversity in range and slide positions would be welcomed in a solo specifically composed for the educational market. More variety might also provide a bit more musical contrast in the alternating sections of the composition. Within the restrictions imposed by the composer, however, the overall result of performing the composition is pleasant and Prankster is a viable solo for the budding trombonist.

-Kevin Chiarizzio
Liberty University