Review

Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 5: Adagio (extract)

Arranged by Randall Malmstrom

Alto, 2 tenors (in tenor clef), 2 basses (opt. contrabass)

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2024
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 5 trombones

Coveted trombonist and arranger Randall Malmstrom takes the dense orchestration of the second movement of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5 and transforms it into an exquisite trombone quintet. With extreme range and technique, this piece could be achieved on three tenor trombones and two bass trombones for accessibility reasons; however, it is written for alto trombone, two tenors, bass, and a contrabass trombone. If a quintet has the bandwidth to utilize all these instruments, the desired timbres will be executed. The immense range in which Malmstrom orchestrates creates a rich depth of sound, giving the illusion that more instruments than trombone are being used. 

With chosen extracts of this Adagio movement, Malmstrom begins with the luscious string chorale - the alto trombone resting nicely on top with the melody. While all the individual parts present their own challenges, the alto part requires a lot of dexterity, navigating under and above the staff with a plethora of accidentals. The alto’s range goes from c3 to d5. The second and third trombone parts are in tenor clef and provide standout moments for the performers as the melodic material gets passed through the upper three parts. Rhythmically, this arrangement is straightforward. The true challenges come with the ability to maintain phrases at the marked “sehr langsam” tempo and to explore musicality through the extreme dynamics.