Review

Marco Bordogni
Melodious Etudes 31-40:

Arranged by Ran Whitley

Trombone Quartet: 3 tenor, one bass trombone or tuba

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

This is the next in a series of quartet arrangements of the Bordogni Vocalises by Ran Whitley. He has now completed Nos. 1-50. This is not a transcription of the of the original Bordogni piano accompaniment. If it was, I would question the worthiness of such a project, but the arranger has preserved the vocal line from the original and then created completely new accompaniment that actively interact with the melodic line. The result maintains the basic harmonic content and style of the original music, but the other three parts interact with the melody in a variety of ways: paired harmonizing, imitation, counterpoint, and countermelody. This imbues the music with a forward motion and interest, in contrast to the original which is rather static and simplistic. It almost reimagines the solo operatic vocalise as an operatic vocal quartet, something that might appear at the end of the act in an opera. As trombonists we use Bordogni to work on legato and development of musical phrasing and interpretation. These arrangements add the element of musical interaction on a chamber music level. Thus, they have use not only for recitals and concerts, but they also contain great pedagogical value aiding the development of young musicians. As such they are a valuable addition to any trombone library.