Review

Greg A. Steinke
MEMORIES of Chief Joseph (Image Music XI-A): MEMORIES of Chief Joseph (Image Music XI-B)
XI-A bass trombone and marimba XI-B bass trombone and piano

Depoe Bay, OR, United States
Publisher: Tierra del Mar Music
Date of Publication: 1994 / 2004

Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with other instruments
Secondary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with piano

Greg Steinke is a retired music professor with an extensive list of compositions. MEMORIES of Chief Joseph was originally written for violin and marimba and has been edited for a variety of instruments including bass trombone, and a version with piano. Several of his works center around his study of Northwest Native Americans.
 
Steinke writes, “The present work is freely conceived, being through-composed and based on a cyclic, multipart approach to form; no ‘system’ as such is used, and the composer has felt free to draw upon whatever compositional resources suitable for his purpose. These movements represent ‘abstractions’ of the place/situation entitled. They should be enjoyed as is but with reflection upon the implications suggested.”
 
Consisting of five movements, the first, “Prelude,” lasts 45 seconds and uses contemporary notation to elicit indeterminate durations and contemplative mood-evoking effects. “Memories: On the Clear Water” is given mostly in the form of call and response. There are moments of interplay with awkward skips that create a somewhat haunting mood. The sparse scoring makes effective use of silence. Mallet changes, hemiola, and glissando maintain listening interest. “Memories: Camas Meadow – Henry’s Lake” is indicated in a faster tempo, in ABA form, and might be the most challenging because of the demanding marimba part, mallet changes, and technical effects. The bass trombonist is expected to trill on f-sharp and c-sharp1. Thin scoring really helps evoke the composer’s intentions. “Memories: Wallowa – Never to Return” contains perhaps the most tuneful material of the work. There are still moments of rhythmic complexity, five against four, borrowed rhythms and improvised effects. The last movement, “Postlude,” calls for mute and is plaintive, if not mournful. Durations are improvised and again the marimba player must change mallets.
 
The piano version requires strumming, harmonics, prepared piano, rapid articulation of a single key to simulate rolling on the marimba and some of the sustained marimba rolls are rescored to dramatic octave sweeps. The fourth movement has more unison playing and the postlude is longer. Certainly a different aesthetic is accomplished but the overall feel of the music remains relatively unchanged.
 
Range is reasonable and it appears that rhythmic accuracy is the most challenging component of the bass trombone part. Scored without key signature, accidentals are numerous, but are neither overwhelming nor atonal. The marimba and piano parts appear to be more difficult, however reading from the score can make ensemble relatively easy. Sparseness, interplay, mallet changes, piano effects, and rhythmic vitality combine to affirm the composer’s descriptions of ‘abstraction’ and ‘reflection upon the implications suggested’ as accurate. It is possible to get a good taste of the entire work through performance of one of the inner movements.

-David Stern
Lewiston, ME