Review

Joseph La Rosa and Joseph Hasper
Concertino for Trombone and Band:

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Publisher: Wehr's Music House
Date of Publication: 2012

Score and parts

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

This is a short solo piece for trombone and band that fits a unfilled niche in the trombone literature. The solo and band parts are aimed at middle school or junior high level band performers and is an excellent solo for a gifted junior high or middle school trombonist. The range for the solo part is modest, c to g1, and the composers have kept each of the three movements between one and two minutes to meet the stamina demands of a young player. The music is diatonic with simple, scalar melodies and few accidentals. The movements are in a fast-slow-fast format. The first movement contains broad singing melodies with interplay between woodwinds and solo trombone. The second movement is a waltz in F minor, and the last movement is light jig with several sixteenth note passages in the trombone and woodwinds. Concertino for Trombone and Band is a unique and welcome addition to the repertoire for young trombonists that provides any middle school band concert a nice trombone feature.

-Tim Howe
University of Missouri