Review

Elizabeth Raum
Fantasy for Trombone and Chamber Orchestra:

Arranged by Jackson Howard

flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, violins I and II, viola, cello, bass, timpani

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2024
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with orchestra

The style of this piece is lyrical and romantic, with a warmly expressive and well-developed melodic line. This arrangement is scored for Solo Trombone and an ensemble comprising 2 flutes, 2 oboes, bassoon, 3 clarinets in B-flat, bass clarinet, 2 alto saxes, tenor sax, baritone sax, 3 trumpets in B-flat, 4 horns in F, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba, timpani (F/B, G, C-sharp/G-sharp, A, C-sharp/G-sharp, F-sharp/B, D-sharp/C-sharp), and percussion (3 players) : bass drum, snare drum, xylophone, glockenspiel, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal and triangle. This indicates a minimum of 29 players, but the flute, oboe, and alto sax parts have sections marked solo and tutti; more than one player is obviously required on these parts, and may be appropriate on others also.

There are five sections, 1st section Allegro agitato, quarter = 144, in C major and 3/4 time; 2nd section Andante con moto in A major and 3/4 & 4/4 time; 3rd section Moderato in A major and 3/4; 4th in C major and 3/4; and 5th in B-flat and 3/4. The writing throughout is highly chromatic with many accidentals in all parts. The piece ends fortissimo on a chord of B-flat spread over four and a half octaves.

Tenor trombone parts are in bass clef: 1st tops out at a-flat1, bass goes down to C-sharp. The Solo Trombone part is given in bass and tenor clefs, range E-flat - c-sharp2, obviously calling for an instrument with an F-extension. Straight mutes are called for in all three ensemble trombone parts and in the three trumpet parts.

Elizabeth Raum was born in New Hampshire in 1945, and is now a Canadian citizen. She is an oboist and a prolific composer, and is married to trombonist Richard Raum. Their daughter Erika is a well-known violinist. Michael Nunes is a Canadian horn player and is currently a composition student at the University of Toronto.