Review

Robert Schumann
Four Songs from Dichterliebe:

Arranged by Louis Setzer

Trombone Quintet: 1 solo tenor, 3 tenor, 1 bass trombone

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

Score and parts.

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 5 trombones

In the midst of the covid 19 pandemic, Cherry Classics Music has published Four Songs from “Dichterliebe” for solo tenor trombone and trombone quartet (TTTB). Louis Setzer, Lecturer of Low Brass at Northern Kentucky University, arranged and premiered this new suite at the 2020 American Trombone Workshop.

Dichterliebe ("A Poet's Love") was composed in 1840, and is the best-known song cycle of Robert Schumann with lyrics by Heinrich Heine. The suite contains the songs “In the Wonderful Month of May,” “I Bear no Grudge,” “A Young Man Loves a Girl,” and “On a Bright Summer Morning.” Setzer chose songs 1, 7, 11, and 12 from the original 16, arranging them in ascending numerical order in his suite. He notates the flowing quality of Schumann’s piano writing through ties and syncopation in accompaniment parts. Staggered entrances and dovetailed monophonic lines mimic the resonance of the piano's sustain pedal, while providing time- and tone-matching challenges to the ensemble.

Setzer’s inclusion of original German lyrics in the solo part helps guide interpretation. He adds dynamics and phrase makings, implied in Schumann’s original, to make balancing soloist and ensemble easy. The solo part ranges from B-flat-a¹, and the piece's four-movement structure allows ample rest within and between songs. Setzer's arrangement uses the solo part both as a featured voice above the accompaniment and as a fifth trombone. The part requires moderate endurance but demands a sensitive, musical approach to phrasing and projection. Parts and score use modern engraving with clear, legible notation. The suite is available for purchase as a PDF download, mailed physical copy, or both. All five parts appear in bass clef and require no mutes.

This eight minute suite will enhance a program of vocal-inspired works or provide contrast to abstract instrumental music. It grants trombonists access to Romantic vocal repertoire while showcasing the musical and interpretive qualities of a soloist. Its range, length, ample use of tempo rubato, and dovetailed lines make it suitable for advanced players.