Review

Brad Edwards
60 Vignettes:
Trombone (euphonium)

No place, , United States
Publisher: Hornbone Press
Date of Publication: 2021
URL: http://www.hornbonepress.com

Physical etude book plus pdf file. 110 pages.

Primary Genre: Study Material - etude

Dr. Edwards holds degrees from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the Hartt School of Music. An outstanding performer, pedagogue and composer, he is currently Professor of Trombone at Arizona State University. His solo credits include radio and television broadcasts, premieres of new music, guest recitals at colleges and regional workshops, and concertos with student and professional orchestras and wind ensembles. He was a member of the Air Force Band, Principal Trombonist of the South Carolina Philharmonic, and the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony. He has also performed with such ensembles as the Baltimore Symphony, the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra, Hartford Symphony, Charleston Symphony, as well as the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra. His work as a composer has enriched both the solo and pedagogical repertoire for the trombone. Blue Wolf for solo trombone has been recorded three times and Four Impromptus for Low Bone Alone, was selected for the national solo competition of the American Trombone Workshop. His pedagogical contributions include Lip Slurs, Lip Slur Melodies, Trombone Craft, Simply Singing, Patterns and Snippets, Introductory Studies in Tenor and Alto Clef, 24 Concert Pieces, The Intermediate Trombonist, and 100 Sight-Reading Melodies in Alto Clef.

His description of the Vignettes is as follows:

60 Vignettes is simply a collection of half-page pieces, each presented in three keys. It was written to provide a variety of music that would be enjoyable to play while helping to build and refresh technique and phrasing. Over my career, I have seen fine musicians return again and again to their favorite études. For trombonists, sections of the Arban’s Method or Bordogni’s Melodious Etudes come to mind. It is my hope that this book might secure a similar place of favor; not some drudgery you know you should do but material you want to play and play well. As to their use in lessons, these pieces could serve as supplementary or sight-reading material depending on the level of the student. They could serve in a weekly assignment system, pairing legato and detached pieces. The shorter length allows students and teachers to more quickly zoom in without becoming bogged down as sometimes happens with longer études.  They progress from easier to more challenging. For any given piece, the keys usually progress as follows: Starting key, up a second, down a third. There are two overarching dichotomies: legato/detached and major/minor. Each of these four categories has 15 etudes. 

All of these short pieces have a fanciful title, giving a clue to their emotional content and interpretation. Some of the names are: Peaceful, Floating, Hopeful, Glowing, and Dancing. The range and technical challenges are of an intermediate level; however, these can be enjoyed on all levels, as their musical value goes much beyond ease of performance. The language is traditionally tonal. Within that, there is a great variety of styles, meters, tempi, and moods. Performers are encouraged to add their own dynamics as well as articulations. In the introduction Dr. Edwards includes excellent pedagogical advice on practicing these short pieces. Title page, layout, and printing are superb. TromboneZone.org contains sample pages.