Review

Modest Mussorgsky
“Ballet of the Unhatched Chickens” from Pictures at an Exhibition:

Arranged by Jamie Wehr

twelve trombones and optional percussion

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Publisher: Wehr's Music House
Date of Publication: 2001
URL: http://www.wehrs-music-house.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 9+ trombones (choir)

Commissioned and premiered by the Prima Toni trombone choir, these three transcriptions are well-written arrangements of standard literature but can be extremely demanding, especially for performers of the alto and bass parts. Of the three, “Ballet of the Unhatched Chickens” and “Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle” are the most programmable by a typical collegiate trombone choir. “Gnome” will probably prove to be overwhelming for most collegiate or amateur ensembles. This is no fault of Wehr’s, as the material simply cannot be faithfully transcribed for trombone choir without these challenges. Overall, these are wonderful additions to the literature for trombone ensemble.

In “Gnome,” Wehr does his best to divide the upper register duties among the four “alto trombone” parts, also designated “jazz trombones,” which tend to hover in the extreme upper register between a-flat1 and f2. The four tenor parts are the easiest of the lot, and the bass parts require rapid technique in the Sempre vivo passages that Ravel’s orchestration assigns to the low strings. Consequently, they must be played by bass trombonists with excellent slide technique and intonation down to extreme pedal register. The use of mutes provides nice color changes and there is ample rest in the alto parts. If indeed the alto parts are played on alto trombone, straight mutes will have to be found to fit those instruments.

“Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle” again divides extremes of technique between the alto and bass parts, with the tenor parts confined to a few simple bars. While the score shows alto trombones on the top four parts, the parts are clearly labeled “jazz trombone,” which perhaps could be more accurately described as “small bore tenors.” The alto trombone parts in “Gnome” and the jazz trombone parts here and in “Ballet of the Unhatched Chickens” are all written in tenor clef, so it’s unclear if Wehr desires a real color change between the instruments or if instrument assignment is merely a formality. The use of mutes draws a close parallel with the Ravel arrangement, and again Wehr is careful to divide the most physically demanding parts among the four alto/jazz trombone performers. This movement would be a challenge for an average trombone choir but not prohibitively so. 

Finally, “Ballet of the Unhatched Chickens” is perhaps the simplest movement of the three, although the jazz trombone 1 part will be a challenge to play accurately. Its notes are extremely short and repetitive. Wehr’s stated goal is to stay true to Mussorgsky’s piano original rather than Ravel’s arrangement. Therefore, the coda in this movement is two bars later than in the Ravel version, although this seems like a fairly minor point when orchestrating a piano piece for trombone choir. Jamie Wehr has made an excellent trombone ensemble transcription of this orchestral standard. It will prove extremely rewarding for performers who can handle it.

-Chris Buckholz
 University of Northern Iowa