Etudes for Trombonists (2020)
First performance and commission
William Lang
William Lang
Instrumentation
For alto trombone, tenor trombone, or bass trombone
For alto trombone, tenor trombone, or bass trombone
Perusal score
Purchase
Program note
Trombonist William Lang approached me to write this collection of concert etudes after playing a set of scores I had published on social media called #tinyefforts2020. This collection is indebted to the tradition of similar piano works by Franz Liszt, Claude Debussy, and György Ligeti, as well as the difficult 20th century French etude books for several wind instruments (Marcel Bitsch, Roger Boutry, Eugene Bozza, and Jean-Michel Damase). They are designed to expand the musical possibilities of the instrument for both the player and the listener. This collection includes etudes for bass, tenor, alto, and treble clefs; a balanced mix of lyrical and technical playing; and key signatures we’d often rather avoid. I am grateful to Will for his artistry, imagination, and enthusiasm throughout the compositional process.
This collection contains 10 etudes in several keys, meters, and forms. There are ossia or alternative versions of etudes to accommodate all three trombone ranges.
No. 1 fast and light
No. 2 languid and cascading
No. 3 elastic, with boneless shape
No. 4 playful
No. 5 improvisatory, like gossamer
No. 6 heraldic
No. 7 like silk, or how a perfume whispers past
No. 8 glowing
No. 9 angry and gestural
No. 10 hushed, gentle and warm
Trombonist William Lang approached me to write this collection of concert etudes after playing a set of scores I had published on social media called #tinyefforts2020. This collection is indebted to the tradition of similar piano works by Franz Liszt, Claude Debussy, and György Ligeti, as well as the difficult 20th century French etude books for several wind instruments (Marcel Bitsch, Roger Boutry, Eugene Bozza, and Jean-Michel Damase). They are designed to expand the musical possibilities of the instrument for both the player and the listener. This collection includes etudes for bass, tenor, alto, and treble clefs; a balanced mix of lyrical and technical playing; and key signatures we’d often rather avoid. I am grateful to Will for his artistry, imagination, and enthusiasm throughout the compositional process.
This collection contains 10 etudes in several keys, meters, and forms. There are ossia or alternative versions of etudes to accommodate all three trombone ranges.
No. 1 fast and light
No. 2 languid and cascading
No. 3 elastic, with boneless shape
No. 4 playful
No. 5 improvisatory, like gossamer
No. 6 heraldic
No. 7 like silk, or how a perfume whispers past
No. 8 glowing
No. 9 angry and gestural
No. 10 hushed, gentle and warm