Review

Trenton Rhodes
Obsidian Inferno:
1 alto, 3 tenors (1 in tenor clef), 2 basses

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Publisher: C. Sharpe Editions
Date of Publication: 2023
URL: http://www.CSharpeEditions.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 6 trombones

The title is enigmatic - obsidian is a dark-coloured vitreous lava or volcanic rock, resembling common bottle glass. In a note in the score, the composer explains… “Obsidian Inferno is certainly quite the title for this piece - it is inspired from the form of the work, which we can label as ABA. Inferno represents the A sections, which are lighthearted and very diatonic, but fairly fast and very difficult to put together - it sounds as if each player was setting their hair on fire. Obsidian represents the B section, which is much more somber, ominous, and dark in nature”.

There is a lot of variety in this piece. It begins Allegro with a syncopated phrase played three times over an evolving bass line. Parts throughout the first section are profusely accented. From m. 56 to 79 the marking is Adagio, then it’s back to Allegro, and in the final section, Vivace. There is a lot of syncopation and many 16th notes in every part, each of which have between 15 and 20 total rest measures.

The key signature throughout is one flat, and the first 40 measures are very clearly in F major and the dominant C major. At m. 43 the writing becomes increasingly more complex and chromatic with numerous accidentals in all parts. From the Allegro section at m. 79 the tonality is again F major, and in the final measure a unison F, fortissimo, is spread over three octaves. This is an interesting and quite challenging piece, and in a good performance should have an impressive impact.

First trombone (alto) range is f - f2 : the part is in alto clef. 1st tenor part is in tenor clef, range c - b-flat1, other parts are in bass clef. Range for bass trombone 2 is AA-flat - g. There is at least one technical novelty in this score - where a trill is called for, alto at m. 10 and tenor 2 at m. 31, the composer has instructed the player to ‘wiggle slide’.

Trenton Rhodes (b. 2002) currently lives in Arkansas. He has been playing trumpet and composing since he was 9 years old, and has won numerous awards for his musical achievements.