Review

Ellinor Peterson
I Will Take Care of You: for four trombones
for four trombones

Linkoping, , Sweden
Publisher: Svensk Music
Date of Publication: 2011
URL: http://www.svenskmusic.org

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 4 trombones

Ellinor Petersen is a composer, poet, and vocalist working in the Provo, Utah area. She has recently composed a handful of brass works that include two works for trombone ensemble and one for brass septet. I Will Take Care of You is an original composition for trombone quartet inspired by the composer’s music drama, The Fire-apple. It was premiered in 2011 by the Maine Trombone Collective at the University of Maine. This four-movement work is scored for two tenors, one alto, and one bass trombone for the first two movements. The last two movements call for the traditional trombone quartet scoring of three tenors and one bass trombone. Range extends from G to c2 in trombone 1, E to a1 in trombone 2, E to d2 in alto/trombone 3, and EE to f1 in the bass trombone part. Performers of the top two parts are required to read both bass and tenor clefs with the third part reading alto and bass clefs. Many of the glissandi involve an interval larger than a tritone so performers should be prepared to find a solution that makes musical sense.

The first movement is marked Allegro; it is in triple meter and has a dance character. This movement requires the use of flutter tongue, straight mute, and plunger in all four parts. It features many dynamic changes and a variety of articulations including staccato, legato, and glissandi. The second movement is marked Lento and contains many of the same elements of the first movement with the addition of meter shifts from 3/8 to 4/8 and more lyricism. The alto trombone is featured as a soloist for the majority of this movement. The third movement is also lyrical in nature with its broad and sometimes connected articulations. First trombone is featured for the first half of the movement and a duo comprised of trombones 2 and 3 conclude. The fourth and final movement is written in more of a choral style. It continues with the same Andante tempo as the previous, but is altered sonically by the use of straight mutes. The opening is a call and response between the trombone 1 part as soloist and the bottom three parts responding as a chorus. The movement moves to a section of development before concluding with a section filled with powerful chords in rhythmic unison.

This piece is appropriate for college level musicians as the music is not overly difficult. It contains a balance of traditional and modern harmonies combined with just a handful of rhythmic challenges. The writing is consistently idiomatic with the exception of the intervals of some glissandi spanning beyond the seven-position range of the trombone. Program notes are provided by the composer.