Review

James Pugh
Short Scherz: for saxophone quartet and trombone
SATB saxophones, tenor trombone

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 1989
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Chamber Music

Written in 1989 for the American Saxophone Quartet, Short Scherz is a fun, light chamber piece for the interesting combination of tenor trombone and saxophone quartet.  After an opening introduction developed from a short melodic motive, the composer sets up a 6/8 groove in the trombone-baritone sax, and the soprano, alto and tenor saxes take turns playing melodic lines as solos or duets over the groove. The grouping of trombone/baritone versus soprano/alto/tenor is used throughout the rest of the piece in various forms. There is a slower section in 4/4 or 5/4  that explores the more lyrical, simpler and sustained side of the orchestration, only to be interrupted by a return of the trombone and baritone groove in a truncated form, and finally a short coda to end the piece. Short Scherz is Grade 4, and most of the technical lines on the trombone lay on the slide really well and all of it lies in the middle register of the instrument. The rhythmic emphasis of the piece requires excellent ensemble. Short Scherz is well written, a nice addition to the limited chamber repertoire for trombone and woodwinds. Hopefully we will see more writing for this combination in the future!