Review

Ron Babcock
50 Progressive Duets in Alto Clef:
Two trombones

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

Etude book

Primary Genre: Study Material - etude
Secondary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 2 trombones

As a follow-up to his 50 Progressive Duets in Tenor Clef, Ron Babcock has written a useful duet book entirely in alto clef. For the student learning the alto clef and/or the alto trombone, this book is ideal. As the title suggests, the duets increase in difficulty, beginning with those in stepwise motion and easy keys, then progressing to larger intervals, accidentals, various meters, and more challenging keys, up to five sharps and five flats. Quite enjoyable indeed, the duets feature good melodies in a tonal context so that there is a good learning curve. The pieces stay within the range of the alto trombone and both parts stay in the alto clef throughout. Dr. Babcock includes several original pieces as well as arrangements of works in various styles and from different time periods. Examples include Donizetti’s Notturno from Don Pasquale, the 16th century song My Robin is to the Greenwood Gone, Fantasia on Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, and two movements from a sonata da chiesa by Corelli.

The final seven duets are selected movements from standard alto trombone works by Finger, Fux, Wagenseil (both movements), Albrechtsberger, and the Concerto for Horn and Trombone by Michael Haydn. In these duets, the top parts are taken primarily from the solo lines of the original pieces and the bottom parts have been constructed from the accompaniments. These are delightful and provide an excellent means to practice these solos while wrapping one’s head around the alto instrument and clef. These duets are a welcome addition to our clef study repertoire.