Review

Claude Debussy
Rêverie:

Arranged by Ralph Sauer

Tuba (bass trombone) and piano

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2019
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and solo part

Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with piano

Mr. Sauer just keeps on keepin’ on, creating excellent arrangements for trombonists and tubists. The present example is no exception; its melody is placed primarily in the solo part, with space allocated for breath and relaxation. There are adaptations in the tuba part to allow for breathing and embouchure comfort, such as mm.20-26, and similar elsewhere. The solo part is technically quite uncomplicated, but there are questions of style and appropriateness that create challenges. Even though the tuba version has been lowered by two octaves to fit the tuba range, the tessitura of the part lies rather high, much more comfortable for bass trombone. And speaking of range, there are only a few occasions where a wide range is needed: a few examples of leaps of a ninth. Another aspect of this arrangement leaves me mystified: tempi and style instructions are given in French in the transcription but in the piano version they are given in Italian.

What is the best use of this transcription? Discussing this question with my spouse we came up with a few uses for this short piece. First, it could serve well as an encore in a solo recital. It could also work as an offertory in performances in church. A bit more work might yield a couple of other pieces to put into a short set of similar pieces. Examples could include Debussy, Girl with the Flaxen Hair; Massenet, "Méditation" from Thaïs. Other examples abound. Whatever the use, it remains a valuable addition to the low brass repertoire and is eminently worth the cost and effort of learning – it is a beauty!