Review

Ludwig van Beethoven
Romance Op.50:

Arranged by Gordon Cherry


Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2013
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with piano

Beethoven’s Romance Op.50 was originally composed for violin and orchestra. It is a beautiful piece that features lyrical, flowing melodies that form a dialogue between the soloist and the accompaniment. In this arrangement by Gordon Cherry, he puts the piece in the key of C Major, down a fourth from the original F Major. The solo bass trombone part is quite similar to the original violin part with only minor adjustments.
 
Even though it is lyrical in style, this piece presents many challenges to the bass trombone performer. There are ornamental figures, trills and extended runs that need to be executed with sensitivity and ease. Overall range extends from BB to g1, but the solo part mainly stays in the mid to upper bass trombone range. Performance time runs around nine minutes and since the solo part is playing for most of that time, endurance could be an issue.
 
Overall, this is a challenging arrangement of a beautiful piece of music that pushes the limits, both technically and musically, of most advanced bass trombone performers. It is a significant piece, appropriate for collegiate or professional level recitals.

-Drew Leslie
Appalachian State University