Review

You Dao Ma
Gada Meiren Theme and Variation Fantasy:

Arranged by Li Kuang

Trombone and orchestra (piano reduction)

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2022
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and solo part.

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano
Secondary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with orchestra

Chinese composer You Dao Ma (1938-2007) set his Gada Meiren Theme and Variation Fantasy originally for trombone and orchestra and it is expertly edited here in this Cherry Classics edition by Li Kuang. Ma’s Gada Merien was written in 1959 and subsequently published in China in 1962; however, the work is believed to have never been performed in its original orchestration, and information about the first performance of the piano reduction is not currently known, a subject worthy of research for our discipline. Composer Ma was born in the Shandong Provence and went on to graduate in 1964 with a degree in Composition from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Mr. Ma remained active in Shanghai, and in the late twentieth century was, along with his colleagues Wang Mingfa and Wang Min, known as one of the “Three Masters” of Shanghai.

This fine, episodic work musically recounts the tale of Mongolian leader Gada Meiren who led a peasant rebellion against landowning chieftains. The work begins with a sparse chordal introduction in the piano in a “solemn and heavy” mood in g minor. The trombone enters with a serious, brooding melody over tumultuous, rolling chords in the piano. After a brief interlude, the trombone reenters with a lovely, sweet lyrical main theme in g minor that is reminiscent of a folk tune. We then have a shift of mode to C minor and a change to a lighter, scherzo-like fanfare that perhaps serves as a melodic call to arms depicting the beginnings of the uprising. The tempo grows yet swifter and our hero, Gada Merein, leads his fellow revolutionaries into battle with a virtuosic, galloping, horse-like rhythm. At the center point of the musical battle, there is a lovely, elegiac section that includes an expressive variation of the lyrical main theme, again in g minor. The accompaniment in this section is also nicely varied from the opening and features brief gestures of countermelody and lovely ascending harp-like arpeggios in the left hand. We then return in medias res to the unfinished battle scene. This section comes to a close with a long and dramatic chromatic descent to a climactic arrival in d minor, perhaps signifying the death of the hero. The work draws towards its conclusion with a touching and simple final restatement of the main theme in g minor. The hero’s legacy is then celebrated with a triumphant pivot to C Major for a moving conclusion to the piece.

Gada Meiren is an excellent recital work as well as a wonderful standalone solo work or end-of-term, collegiate jury selection. The trombone part is generally conservative in register with the lowest pitch being a single trigger D, though the part generally does not descend below G at the bottom of the bass clef staff, and the trombone part does not venture above b-flat1. The original Chinese publication, which has been quite difficult to locate outside of mainland China, contained some instances of awkward scoring for the pianist and arranger Li Kuang has taken great care in ensuring the playability of the piano reduction, which enhances the work’s effectiveness. Additionally, Li Kuang has helpfully translated all of the original text and expressive markings from the original Chinese, as well as corrected tempo markings.

This fine work deserves wide celebration and performance by trombonists around the world and it is highly recommended for inclusion in your library as well as your studio or university library. The work is a compelling musical journey for both the performers and the audience and is well worth the effort to prepare for performance.