Review

Béla Bartók
Romanian Christmas Songs:

Arranged by Ralph Sauer


Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2023
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Piano score and solo part

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

Béla Bartók composed two series of ten pieces for solo piano entitled Romanian Christmas Songs. Each were based on Pagan folk melodies which celebrated the winter solstice. In the composer’s own words, these melodies give “the impression of a fiery, war-like type of song, rather than a pious and religious one.”

Series I contains ten songs. Most of them employ some combination of changing meter, asymmetric meter, and non-standard modalities—properties many of us might typically associate with Bartók’s music. The counterpoint between the piano accompaniment and trombone part may prove difficult to coordinate for less experienced students, especially in these meters.

Written mostly in tenor clef and spanning a range up to c2, these works are well suited to most intermediate to advanced college level trombonists. Most of these melodies are only about 20–30 measures in length. They provide an excellent opportunity to expose a student to a modern compositional language in a work that is accessible and comprehensible.

The parts and score are well edited, and the collection is nicely organized. Ralph Sauer’s transcription of this Bartók classic is a welcome addition to the trombone repertory and will likely be performed on many recitals and other performances for many years to come.