Review

Heinrich Panofka
24 Progressive Vocalises:

Arranged by Wesley Jacobs


Maple City, MI, United States
Publisher: Encore Music Publishers
Date of Publication: 2008

Trombone score and piano accompaniments

Primary Genre: Study Material - etude
Secondary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

The Panofka vocalises are an excellent source of musical material to employ in developing the instrumentalist’s lyrical performing capability. Encore’s website cites these editions as the “first complete editions of the Panofka Vocalises for trumpet, trombone and tuba.” While this statement may be true all but the second vocalise may be found in Fink’s Studies in Legato and the transcriptions of Panofka’s opus 85 comprise the bulk of the musical material in Fink’s publication.

The Encore publication is a sturdy, good-looking edition with a thick cardstock cover.  Brief biographical notes on Panofka are a welcome inclusion inside the front cover. Care was taken to minimize problems with page turns as only one vocalise in the trombone book needs to be interrupted due to the layout. The pages are sized at 8.5” x 11” for both the instrumentalist and the piano accompaniment. While the layout is clear, a slightly larger size of paper would have allowed for the use of slightly larger note heads, more uniform spacing between the vocalises, and a little more white space in the slightly crowded systems.  One should also be aware of one typographical error on page 5 of the trombone edition (m.34) and the consistent use of eighth-note values for the grace note figures as opposed to the more common value of sixteenth-notes. This peculiarity is encountered in all numbers except no.19. While possibly a purely personal preference, the inclusion of suggested alternate positions would also have been welcomed in the encouragement of a smoother presentation of the musical line.

The original publication was unavailable for comparison, but accompaniment for all examples found through web searches indicate the piano part is similar to those found in other available publications. As in the trombone book, use of a slightly larger note heads for the accompaniment would have produced a more satisfying appearance to the publication and increased ease of reading. Overall, both publications are worthy additions to the available materials for use in developing a more lyrical style of performance.  

-Kevin Chiarizzio
Liberty University