Review

Lauren Bernofsky
Two Latin Dances for Trombone and Piano:
Trombone and piano

King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, United States
Publisher: Theodore Presser Company
Date of Publication: 1994 / 2017
URL: http://www.presser.com

Score and solo part

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

Lauren Bernofsky is a well-versed composer. Her catalog of works includes pieces for solo, chamber, choral, orchestral, film, musical, opera, and ballet and well-known music groups have commissioned her. Her trumpet concerto may be perhaps the most popular known work among brass players, particularly the trumpeters because it is frequently included on recitals and often in orchestral auditions. Two Dances for Trombone and Piano, commissioned by Natalie Mannix, premiered at the 2016 International Trombone Festival and is recorded on Mannix’s CD Breaking Ground: A Celebration of Women Composers. The dances Bernofsky features in this piece are the Bossa Nova and tango rhythms. At first they are two distinct separate movements, but by the end the rhythms are “twisted together as one.” Both movements are lyrical throughout. The performer will encounter various syncopated Latin rhythms making it a great piece for students needing exposure to that style. The piece hangs around the upper tessitura with a range from g to high d2. This is a fun and interesting piece that adds contrast within the trombone solo repertoire. It is a suitable piece for an advanced upper level student at the undergraduate level and beyond.