Review

Armand Russell
Dark Alliances:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2009
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

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

Dark Alliances is a three-movement work scored for three trombone quartets: 1. Conflicting Alliances, 2. Confluent Alliances, 3. Shifting Alliances. Although the first documented performance can be traced to the Mānoa Trombone Ensemble, as lead by Jeannie Henniss, at Professor Emeritus Russell’s University of Hawaii at Mānoa in May 1992, this version contains slight edits to ease upper-range endurance issues for the first trombonist. Donated for review by Cherry Classics Music, the publisher’s website includes previews of select pages of the score and a computer-synthesized .mp3 audio file of the entire composition, both of which are extremely helpful to discern the viability of the work for one’s trombone ensemble.

The work is well-written for musicians of various playing abilities, thus making it particularly appropriate for a collegiate trombone choir desiring a challenging piece that presents learning opportunities for all players. While the first trombonist will have to confront extended high-tessitura playing, other upper-voiced trombone parts will also require stable b-flat1 and c2s. Other challenges, such as overlapping tutti scoring of triple versus quadruple rhythmic subdivisions, will engage the inner parts. Of particular interest is a challenging and recurring ascending gesture in the third trombone part, initially appearing in m.26 of the first movement, requiring careful attention. While scored for three bass trombones, the lowest part descends to an AA-flat while the other bass trombone parts only descend to D and E-flat and could be played by tenor trombonists with F-attachments if required.   

-Peter Fielding
Mahidol University, Thailand