Review

Gustav Holst
Venus from The Planets: for 8-part trombone Ensemble

Arranged by Randall Malmstrom

Trombone octet: 8 trombones: 1 alto, 5 tenor, 2 bass trombones

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

Score and parts.

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 8 trombones

Holst composed ‘The Planets’ between 1914 and 1916. The beautiful music he created in this movement points to Venus, the Bringer of Peace. The tempo marking throughout is Adagio, quarter = 64. The arrangement is scored for alto trombone, five tenor trombones and two bass trombones, organized into two quartets, in the original key of E-flat, with its central section in F-sharp.

In the first 2 measures, a solo alto trombone plays the rising four-note theme originally played by horn. The available resources are imaginatively used to produce a wide range of colour and tonal contrast. The predominant dynamics are pp to mp. rising to mf in just two measures, and with the full ensemble playing in only 10 out of the total 80 measures. The piece ends pianissimo and ambiguously on a C minor seventh chord played by just four parts. An optional final measure contains an E-flat major chord played by the full ensemble, spread over two and a half octaves and marked ppp. I think the effect here could be quite magical.

Ranges for alto trombone and first tenor are f-d-flat² and c-c² respectively. Bass 4 goes down to EE-flat and 8 to FF, EE-flat optional. All tenor trombone parts are given in tenor clef.

Randall Malmstrom lives in Portland, Oregon. He has created 36 arrangements for 8-part trombone ensemble currently available from this publisher.