Review

William G. Rose
Toccata: for Bass Trombone and Piano

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

Piano score and solo part

Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with piano

The repertoire for solo bass trombone can sometimes feel like it lacks some depth and variety when compared to that of the tenor trombone. Therefore, when any new solo work for bass trombone comes along, it’s worth checking out. William G. Rose’s Toccata for Bass Trombone and Piano, published in 2022, is a circa five-minute piece that should find its way onto recital programs more in the coming years. Rose is both a trombonist (tenor and bass) and a composer, and has served on the faculty of McNeese State University’s W.A. and Dorothy Hanna Department of Performing Arts.

Rose’s Toccata falls into three sections. The opening Moderato is bold and technical, with scattered 32nd notes in between 16th notes in and below the staff. Players should be aware of the low B-naturals in the piece; a second valve is necessary unless the player wants to play extended technical passages with a F-tuning slide pulled to E. Technical facility and clear articulations will be key to performing the outer sections of the piece well. The middle section, marked “Un poco movimento,” is softer, lyric, and contrasts nicely with the character of the opening section. A D.C. al Coda repeats the first few lines of the piece before continuing the technical passages all the way to the ending. Cherry Classics notes this piece as being appropriate for an advanced performer and I would agree with that. The range is not extreme but the technical passages will require careful practice to achieve clarity.

As a publisher, Cherry Classics is prolific and my reviews typically note the clarity with which scores and parts are laid out. Largely, this piece follows suit. However, there are a couple of places in the solo part where elements overlap: once where a rest and quartet note overlap and once on the last line where some dynamic markings and the standard page footer text compete for space. These are easily overcome by players but do deviate slightly from my typical experience with this publisher.

William G. Rose’s Toccata for Bass Trombone and Piano is a challenging work with a lot to like. Performers and audiences alike will enjoy this work.