Review

Richard Wagner
Prelude to Act Three: from Die Meistersinger

Arranged by Ralph Sauer

6 tenor, 2 bass trombones

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

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 8 trombones

In an 1862 letter to friends, Richard Wagner shares an epiphany he experienced while working on Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg; “… it is now become clear to me that this work will be my most perfect masterpiece … .” Sparked by a thought for the Act III Prelude he stated, the prelude “… is itself a moment of enlightenment; after a ‘quiet, soft, deeply melancholic passage,’ the "Wach' auf" chorale will emerge in a brilliant and ‘sublime outburst’ … ‘like a gospel.’” (M. Puri, 19th Century Music, Fall 2001)

Excellent arrangements benefit from outstanding source material. Wagner’s music and Sauer’s adroit arranging skills combine to create an exceptional arrangement for trombone octet.  The introspective, contemplative, almost religious nature of the music well fits the timbre of a choir of trombones. Proper phrasing of the prolonged, opening statements is encouraged through pairing of parts with variations of notated phrase lengths, ensuring the staggering of breaths at appropriate intervals. The original transparent orchestral texture lends itself to a more restrained use of the trombone ensemble and utilization of the full ensemble is reserved for only the more dramatic occasions in the music. As a consequence, ample rest is afforded for embouchure maintenance across the ensemble and endurance concerns are eliminated. The upper four parts utilize tenor clef throughout the arrangement and the tessitura of each part is well within a comfortable performance range; the highest pitch is a¹. The lower quartet is notated in bass clef with the two lower parts labeled for bass trombone. The inclusion of BB-naturals in the bass trombone parts necessitate the use of a double-valved instrument. The bass trombone parts may be easily performed on tuba with the addition of a tacit for the opening four measures. Highly recommended.