Review

Eric Crees
Las Vegas:
16 trombones and optional drumset

Coventry, , United Kingdom
Publisher: Warwick Music Publishers
Date of Publication: 2007
URL: http://www.warwickmusic.com

Score and parts

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

Las Vegas was written for the 2007 International Trombone Festival held in the titled city at the request of Chris Houlding. This massive work for sixteen trombones and optional drum kit contains five movements, each based on a different part of the Nevada town’s history. The difference in movement styles is most easily heard in the inclusion and treatment of the Dies Irae throughout the work. It is peacefully presented at the outset of the first movement, “The Meadows,” the Spanish translation of the city’s name. The next movement, “Jornada de Muerte” (Journey of Death) displays the theme in a somber, mysterious fashion. The third movement, “Mines,” musically demonstrates the city’s mining history, complete with dynamite explosions! The final two movements are perhaps the most exciting as the Dies Irae is aggressively used to assist in portraying a speedy locomotive and its use in the final movement, “Showtime,” is possibly the most far-removed presentation of the famous theme in all musical literature as the jazz idiom prevails over it. Perhaps to assist with the swing feel of the jazz style, the fourth movement is written in triple meter, which may make it difficult to read for experienced jazz performers. The drum kit part is listed as optional, but it is completely necessary as it provides the driving force of the locomotive in the fourth movement and the foundation of the jazz style in the final movement.

This challenging, yet rewarding work is written for an ensemble of advanced performers.  The highest note in the first trombone part is d-flat2 and many of the interior parts reach up to b-flat1. All four of the bass trombone parts reach down to the EE-GG range. Eric Crees is a world-renown composer and trombonist. He currently holds the position of Principal Trombone at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

-Cory Mixdorf
University of Arkansas