Review

Douglas Hedwig
Trombone Sonata: Antarā

Anniston, AL, United States
Publisher: Potenza Music Publishing
Date of Publication: 2020 / 2024
URL: http://www.potenzamusic.com

Piano score and solo part

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

Douglas Hedwig was a trumpet player with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for 27 years. Since turning his full attention to composition in 2011, his music has been performed throughout the U.S., Italy, England, Belgium, Scotland, South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia. He is a winner of both the Gaetano Amadeo Prize (Italy) and The American Prize and is the recipient of awards and honors from the Siena Art Institute (Italy), Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts (WY), and the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Dr. Hedwig is Professor Emeritus at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, and former faculty at The Juilliard School.

The composer writes:
The music and philosophy of India have profoundly influenced my compositional output, both directly and indirectly. The endlessly inventive melodic sitar phrasing of Ravi Shankar, the complex meters and rhythms within the tabla playing of Ali Akbar Khan, and the healing qualities of Gandharva Veda have captivated my curiosity and intense musical interest. In the philosophical works of Swami Vivekananda and other sages, I found inspiration to express infinity within the finite world of my compositions, regardless of style. 

When trombonist Adam Johnson approached me for a commission, I realized that the trombone’s slide mechanism would allow for an effective fusion of Indian and Western styles. The slide enables meend (glissandi and gliding between pitches), essential in Indian music… I chose the raga Aydava-shādava for the Sonata’s second movement, a raga that resonates deeply with me. The first and third movements then fell into place, with the first movement expressing a journey toward knowledge (yātrā) and the final movement embracing rhythmic intensity typical of Indian compositions (jhala).

YouTube links to a fine recording of each of the three movements

www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9P-RyOJapg

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwEqunbR9NM

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXMaAqNRjUA


This is a compelling and interesting work for advanced performers that takes the trombone/piano recital repertoire into previously unexplored territory.