Review

Walter Sear
Magnetics:

Massapequa, NY, United States
Publisher: Cor Publishing Company
Date of Publication: 2009
URL: http://www.wiltshiremusic.com

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 2 trombones

This work is a single-movement moderately-challenging fugue. Although the first part is clearly the top voice, the two parts cross at times. Both parts range roughly between E and b-flat1 and remain in bass clef throughout. The fugue is clearly in D minor but has a few chromatically dense sequences. Except for these sequences, Sear’s writing has the feel of a Bach fugue. This fugue, in which neither player gets more than an eighth-note rest until the end, requires endurance. The publisher provides two copies of the four-page score so each player will need either two stands or stand extenders in order to play it through without stopping. There are some inconsistencies in the edition. For example, trills are sometimes written out, sometimes not. In m.36, the second part repeats an accidental on two consecutive notes. The detailed slur marks are sometimes hard to read. Players will have to stay on their toes to accurately play these note groupings as well as catch the frequent dynamic changes. I’m not sure I would program this for a recital but it does provide good sight-reading practice.

-Brad Edwards
University of South Carolina