Review

Engelbert Humperdinck
Evening Prayer and Dream Pantomime from the opera Hansel and Gretel:

Arranged by Terry Greenawalt

6 tenor and 2 bass trombones

Newton, IA, United States
Publisher: TAP Music Sales
Date of Publication: 1986 / 1992

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 8 trombones

Every part in this arrangement is two pages long and given in bass clef. The music is in 4/4 meter at a tempo of quarter note = 84. It is 127 measures long and lasts approximately five and a half minutes. The music is quite tonal and covers the keys of F major, E-flat major and E major. Every tenor trombone part carries the melody at some point. All parts have moving lines of some sort, eighth note, triplet, or sixteenth note. From an ensemble perspective there are moving lines that dovetail between parts that must be matched, moving lines that are harmonized between parts that must be carefully tuned and several instances where inner voices cross.

Individual part ranges: first c-d2, second c-b-flat1, third F-a-flat1, fourth G-sharp-g1, fifth E-b-flat1, sixth F-g1, bass 1 D-flat-f1, bass 2 EEflat-e-flat. Tessitura of the first part is quite high; it will work well on alto trombone. Both the first and second parts contain adequate rests so endurance should not be a major difficulty. The fifth part covers the widest range, two octaves plus a tritone. Bass trombone 1 is playable by a tenor trombonist with an F attachment and decent low register. Bass trombone 2 spends the bulk of its time below the staff in the valve, pedal, and valve pedal registers requiring a strong player with outstanding low register and breath control. This part will also work well on tuba. Overall, this is a well arranged, beautiful piece of music. Due to range requirements of the top and bottom parts, the music likely requires a college level ensemble to perform.

-Frank Gazda
Delaware State University