Review


Elizabeth Raum
Romance: for solo trombone and orchestra
for solo trombone and orchestra

Vancouver, BC, , Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2016
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Range CC to b-flat1. Grade 4.

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with orchestra

Romance was originally written for horn and piano, and then orchestrated and adapted by Elizabeth Raum for trombone in 2001. The orchestration is for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and strings. It is a beautiful and expressive legato solo for trombone. It is reminiscent of early twentieth century French conservatory music in its use of melodic scales and harmony, and also the constant tension between duple and triple subdivision. The undulating accompaniment is marked by multiple layers of subdivision and repeated figures and provides a floating platform for the solo lines. The trombone solo primarily interacts with upper woodwinds and Violin I, sometimes answering each other in short melodic phrases and at other times creating secondary melodies around the solo line. The solo features moderate trombone range. Several higher passages from the original horn solo have been displaced to a lower octave. This makes the music approachable for advanced high school or college level players who want to perform a solo with orchestra, but it is also useful for professional trombonists looking for a more legato solo. Romance is also available from the publisher with piano accompaniment.

 

Reviewer: Timothy Howe
Review Published June 15, 2023