Review

Richard Wagner
Excerpt from Parsifal:

Arranged by Randall Malmstrom

2 alto, 4 tenor, 2 bass trombones

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2020
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts.

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 8 trombones

The operatic output of German composer Richard Wagner is as influential and radical as it is vast. Standing in stark contrast to the largely number-based works of his Italian counterparts, Wagner’s later operas defied conventional compositional techniques, relying on leitmotivs to bring musical organization and meaning to often-sprawling operas. These leitmotivs are snippets of music associated with characters, objects, and places and their use throughout his later operas has had a lasting influence, especially in some modern film scoring. Wagner’s opera Parsifal was his last to be premiered and features a well-documented number of leitmotivs throughout its score. Its title character, often spelled Percival in other literature, is a knight of the mythical King Arthur’s round table known for his search for the Holy Grail. The opera is known for possessing both religious under- (and over-) tones as well as for its beautiful melodies.

Arranger Randall Malmstrom has taken portions of the Vorspiel (introduction or overture) and has set it for a trombone choir of eight parts. Included are leitmotivs such as the grail and faith motives, the liebesmahl (love feast) motive and others. The arrangement calls for 2 alto trombones, 4 tenor trombones, and 2 bass trombones. The outer parts are fairly extreme in range, pedal EE-flat in the lowest part and E-flat2 in the highest, requiring strong players with a good command of the instrument. Though demanding, Malmstrom does include rest and doubling with other players to reduce the burden on any one part. All parts demand a combination of lyric and majestic styles to capture Wagner’s music correctly.

I have reviewed a number of publications by Cherry Classics in recent years. Gordon Cherry’s company has added so many high-quality arrangements to the repertoires of a myriad of ensemble configurations, and this arrangement also doesn’t disappoint. Both score and parts are easy to read and are carefully laid out. Malmstrom and Cherry Classics have done a nice job bringing this music of Wagner’s to more advanced trombone ensembles.