Review

Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No.9:

Arranged by Wes Ballenger

Brass quintet and percussion: 2 C trumpets, F horn, trombone, bass trombone or tuba, percussion - snare, bass, triangle

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

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Brass Ensemble - 5 brass

Scored for two C trumpets, F horn, trombone, tuba or bass trombone with optional snare drum and triangle, one player, this arrangement is suitable for advanced players. Shostakovich wrote his Symphony No.9 in August 1945. The war in Europe had ended and he was expected to produce a great, triumphant 9th symphony celebrating the achievements of the Soviet people, but he just couldn’t do it. Eastern Europe was occupied by Soviet forces, who had liberated Auschwitz on January 27th. At home, Stalin was extending his reign of terror. On August 6th and 9th, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The composer turned to Haydn for inspiration.

Only one movement of the symphony is arranged here and it’s not identified on the score. It’s the first movement Allegro, given in its original key of E-flat major. The trombone introduces the main theme, which covers a range from c to c² in the first eight measures. The second subject is the mocking four-note ‘Stalin’ motive, played originally by the piccolo. It’s first heard in second trumpet in mm 47-50, and reiterated by horn and trombone in mm 78-81: ‘Jo-sef Sta-lin, Jo-sef Sta-lin!’ At m230, the snare drum reintroduces a relentless rhythm in anapestic meter, first heard in m45. The movement ends abruptly and ambiguously with only the notes of a major third, spread in this arrangement over three octaves. The point is made. The trombone part is given in tenor and bass clefs as appropriate; there are many accented and staccato notes, and two glissandi. Out of 247 measures, there are 47 full measures of rest. Overall range is E to c². First trumpet tops out at b² and second at b-flat². Mutes (not specified) are indicated for both trumpets.

Wes Ballenger is bass trombonist with the US Army Field Band based in Ellicott City, Maryland. He has two other arrangements available from this publisher as of this writing.