Review

Georg Frederic Handel
Sinfonia from Messiah:

Arranged by Ralph Sauer

Trombone Quartet: 3 tenor, 1 bass trombone

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2021
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts.

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 4 trombones

Composed in 1741, the Messiah was the sixth English language oratorio composed by George Frederic Handel (1685-1759). Arguably one of Handel’s most famous and enduring compositions, the work tells the story of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection, and as such, is often performed during the Easter season. According to the publisher, Mr. Sauer recently rediscovered this transcription, which dates back over 50 years to his student days at the Eastman School of Music.

Written in the form of a French overture, the opening Sinfonia opens with slow, dotted rhythms while the second half is faster and fugal in nature. The original key of E minor has been retained and the traditional repeat of the opening has been removed in favor of having the entire section written out a second time.  The first part requires a consistent and clear high register, with a melodic range from d to d², while the remaining three parts appear less daunting. The length of the piece, along with its bold introduction and driving fugue, as well as the fact that it is an overture, makes it an excellent opener for a concert program. Finally, like most of Mr. Sauer’s arrangements published through Cherry Classics, it is available in hardcopy format or can be downloaded as a PDF file directly from cherryclassics.com.