Review

Robert Schumann
Adagio and Allegro, Op.70:

Arranged by Jaime Morales-Matos

Bass trombone and piano

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

Score and solo part.

Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with piano

Composed for horn in 1849, Robert Schumann also made cello and violin solo parts for his Adagio and Allegro, op.70. Arrangements of this superb work abound for a host of instruments, and the piece, like so many works of J.S. Bach, has proven to be fertile ground for transcribers and editors. It is certainly a worthwhile addition to recital programs, which carries a bonus: Piano accompanists, in general, often enjoy playing a piece of “art music” that was written by a composer, like Schumann, who truly understood (or understands) how to write for the piano.

Jaime Morales-Matos, Associate Professor of trombone at Miami University (Ohio) and music director of the Central Ohio Symphony, has arranged Schumann’s work for bass trombone solo. The operative word here is “arranged” rather than transcribed. The key has been changed from A-flat to C major which puts this arrangement in a higher tessitura than at least one other published, currently available version for bass trombone that preserves the original key. It should also be noted that the arranger has made a parallel version of the piece for tenor trombone in F major, also published by Cherry Classics. Where Morales-Matos becomes an arranger rather than a transcriber is in his penchant for changing Schumann’s original expressive markings. Robert Schumann knew something about writing for brass instruments (not only for horn, but for trombones, as evidenced not only in this piece, but also in his Concertstück for horns, and his Symphony No.3), and his sense of phrasing—so expertly demonstrated in his dozens of Lieder—can hardly be questioned. But Morales-Matos overrides Schumann throughout this arrangement, not only in phrasing, but in articulations as well. For instance, the penultimate note of the piece, which Schumann marked staccato, has been changed to tenuto, reinforcing the trope that trombone players are allergic to staccato. Many of Schumann’s dynamic shadings are also either missing or have been changed. This is more than picking nits. Changes abound, such as in the first four measures of the Adagio, which have new phrasing, and the phrasing in measures 120 to 129 of the Allegro that has been chopped up. In addition, while many modern editions of Adagio and Allegro, including this one, use Italian tempo markings—Adagio and Allegro con brio—using Schumann’s own German tempo markings—Langsam, mit innigem Ausdruck (Slowly, with an intimate expression) and Rasch und feurig (Quickly and fiery)—would have given the performer much more information with which to inform a performance.

The layout of the solo part is clean and easy on the eyes, but the piano part goes back and forth between three and four systems per page which is a little distracting. With a range of BB to a1 and its challenging but reasonable technical demands, this arrangement should be well within the skill set of capable bass trombonists. Schumann’s work is a treasure, and despite some head-scratching editorial decisions, Jaime Morale-Matos’ arrangement will find a niche among players who want to play the piece in a lower key than the original.