Review

Alejandro Guardia Jr.
Escapades :
Four trombones

Cedartown, Georgia, United States
Publisher: Potenza Music Publishing
Date of Publication: 2012

Score and parts. Grade 4.

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 4 trombones

Designed as a companion piece to Excursions written for tuba quartet, Escapades is cast in three movements designed to be played without a break, range AA-c2. The composer describes a colorful program reflecting a work day experience in city life: rush hour traffic, an afternoon lull, and letting loose at quittin’ time. Movement one, “The Daily Grind,” uses four independent and yet interlocking rhythmic voices to recreate the noisy bustle and activity of morning city streets. There is an alternating 3/4-6/8 feel in the melody, which has a Latin flavor. The next movement “Day Dreaming,” is more contemplative, with slow glissandi in all parts and a legato melody carried in the second and third parts. The last movement, “Quittin’ Time,” is a fun romp in a jazz funk style with a rockin’ bass trombone part and a tricky funk melody with flips and glissandi played in the first and second parts. The movement returns to recap music from the opening movement to wrap up the piece.

Escapades an entertaining and well-crafted composition with rhythmic and melodic challenges in all four parts. The clever interlocking voices and use of ostinato to drive the music is effective and written well for trombone. This piece is designed for quartet but could be played by an octet or small trombone choir, an excellent piece for a college trombone group.