Review

Alexander Glazunov
Élégie Op.44:

Arranged by Cory Mixdorf

tenor trombone and piano

Vancouver, BC, , Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2015
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

Élégie was originally composed for viola and piano and is a haunting, beautiful, lyrical melody in 9/8 meter. Though the arranger has transposed the original work down from g minor to c minor, this version still covers a wide range and demands great lyrical, controlled playing. The difficulty of this is compounded by the absence of rest for the soloist, who plays with only two brief moments of rest in the entire six minutes. Thus it is a great test of strong, yet relaxed control and stamina in the upper register. Looking at the piano part and the solo part, one wonders if this could have been transposed down further to E or E-flat minor without sacrificing the color and making the piece more playable by less advanced players. The work is in ABA form and most of the development of the thematic content is done by changes in register, use of sequence, or brief modulations. The piano part is not difficult and supports the trombone solo throughout. This will provide a nice contrast to any recital program.