Review

Simon Wills
Lucifer:

Coventry, , United Kingdom
Publisher: Warwick Music Publishers
Date of Publication: 2007
URL: http://www.warwickmusic.com

Solo score

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - unaccompanied

This work was written for Chris Houlding, Principal Trombonist of the Orchestra of Opera North. It is based on pitch sets related to the notational spelling of “beast” including a healthy dose of tritone, major 7th and minor 9th intervals. Lucifer features angular writing, contrasting dynamics, doodle-tonguing, flutter-tonguing and dramatic range shifts, all coming together in a musical and logical manner. The work is of medium difficulty and requires flexibility. It is certainly playable by a good college student. Its title and programmatic nature are sure to raise an eyebrow in any recital setting.

-David Manson
St. Petersburg, FL