Review

Elizabeth Raum
Idiom: for Solo Trombone (from Idiom for Solo French Horn)
Solo trombone

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 1982 / 2020
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score.

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - unaccompanied

Idiom for Solo Trombone was written for hornist Phillip Myers in 1982 and has been transcribed for trombone at the request of Richard Raum. Elizabeth Raum writes that the original  composition  emphasized the characteristics often found in romantic horn writing, including hunting horn calls, long lyric melodic lines, and the waltz. After an opening introduction, sections in a horn call style are alternated with more lyrical sections in a waltz style. The 9/8 horn call sections feature consistent, short, syncopated, open fifth motives and triple dotted eighth rhythms, which are developed in various transpositions and extensions. There are three contrasting lyric sections in waltz style and the last two contrasting sections shift from 9/8 to 3/4; the interval of a fifth is still present in the melodic material of these sections. The work is tightly organized and well-crafted around its motivic material. Rhythms require solid rhythmic grounding and articulation to play well. It is also five plus minutes of playing so it is a bit of a blow, though the composer allows for brief breaks occasionally at breath marks. Range is quite reasonable: F to a-flat1. This is an approachable grade 4, unaccompanied piece and might make a nice opening work for a recital.