Review

David Önaç
“…and the Red Sea…”:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2009
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Piano score and solo part

Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with piano

David Önaç was born in 1984. He is currently studying with Camden Reeves at the University of Manchester, England, working towards his PhD in Composition. “…and the Red Sea…” was commissioned by bass trombonist Jonathan Warburton and definitely represents a major challenge. It runs to extremes of range and dynamics, beginning with a page of unaccompanied pedal tones extending from GG down to DD. Following a piano interlude, there begins a constant slow progression, initially in half notes and quarter notes, then a continuous accelerando from quarters to eighths to eighth note triplets ending in sixteenth notes. As the rhythmic pace picks up the dynamic also increases to fortissimo. An alternative trombone line is introduced, which lies generally higher than the ‘main’ line. This section is quite active involving wide leaps and high notes. From the earlier continuous crescendo, the dynamic now increases over the span of a measure or two. As agitation increases, rhythmic values accelerate from sixteenth notes to groups of five sixteenths, simplifying to scale patterns that climb to c-sharp2, d2 and e-flat2. The frenetic motion of the trombone part ceases, leading to a sustained e-flat2 followed by e2 with the dynamic indication of forte possible. 

This is an exhausting, if highly dramatic piece to perform on bass trombone. While the pitches in the ‘main line’ are not quite as high as in the alternative line, they are still quite high and present a real challenge. The work as a whole has a rather disjointed quality; it seems like part of a piece, not totally complete. It leaves a desire to hear more of David Önaç’s work in order to come to an understanding of his aesthetic point of view.

-Philip Brink
Mahidol University