Review

Jonathan Warburton
The Granilith:

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Publisher: Wehr's Music House
Date of Publication: 2008
URL: http://www.wehrs-music-house.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 8 trombones

The Granilith, a ballad written for eight trombones, opens with quasi-cadenza section in mixed meter. An alla breve, cantabile section follows the introduction and there is a key change later in the work. All parts are given in bass clef. Range is CC-g1. The work requires 6 tenor and two bass trombones and the composer lists no bore-size preferences for the top six voices. I would suggest small bore tenors for the solo line and trombones 1-3, and tenor-bass instruments for trombones 4 and 5, for tone color considerations. Parts 1-5 are written in block style, with the bass trombone parts providing the “motor” rhythm. Melody is almost entirely in the solo line.

This piece has some inherent performance difficulties due to scoring. Part doubling could help avoid endurance problems. While the parts aren’t high, the piece requires sustained playing. The solo voice has no rest for 135 measures. Trombones 1-3 have literally no rest in the piece, and the bass trombones play almost continuously from beginning to end. Moreover, the bass trombone parts as written will almost certainly cause the tempo to drag and will create a muddy sound. The parts are written in octaves or sometimes unison; one part plays whole notes while the other plays quarter notes, usually an octave lower than the long tones. Finally, the extreme pedal range often seen in the bass trombone 2 part may require a more advanced player, an unfortunate fact given the easy rhythms and overall range of the rest of the parts of the octet. A possible fix might be to perform the work playing only the bass trombone 1 part, after altering the rhythms accordingly. Parts 4 and 5 are the only parts with extended rests.

The work includes phrase indications for the solo line but none for any other part. There are no articulation markings present, and dynamic markings are minimal and sometimes ambiguous. The score and parts are computer generated and easy to read. The first trombone part has a difficult page turn in the middle of a phrase, so performers will need to plan accordingly. With some judicious editing and doubling this piece will work well for an intermediate level trombone ensemble. It will almost certainly require a conductor for rehearsal/performance. Consider it fine material for high school solo/ensemble festivals.

-Michael Davidson
The University of Kansas