Review

György Kurtág
Hat Darab Harsonára És Zongorára: (Six Pieces for Trombone and Piano)

Budapest, , Hungary
Publisher: Editio Musica Budapest
Date of Publication: 1999

Performing score

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

Six Pieces for Trombone and Piano constitutes an intriguing mix of the avante-garde and the traditional. For the most part pitches and durations are notated using traditional notation. The work is unmetered but notes are often grouped so as to give a sense of meter. The composer adds fermata-like symbols over notes and rests that affect duration, crescendo markings with arrows that indicate both dynamic and tempo modifications, and in one movement, symbols that instruct the pianist to play with the palm or with the palm “circled.” The trombone part visits the register extremes of the instrument, contains wide intervals that require great facility, and of course contains the occasional glissando and flutter tongue. Adding to the intrigue - its title notwithstanding - the work actually comprises seven movements. Kurtág pairs six of the movements: the first and fourth movements are fanfares; the second and fourth, dirges; the third and sevenths movements are dramatic affairs entitled Zerés (translated “Beating”) and the sixth, a virtuosic movement entitled Hommage á Paganini. 

The work commences with an opening fanfare for solo trombone comprised entirely of b-flats that alternate octaves and durations. The subsequent Dirge I is marked Parlando, apparently meaning in the manner of a recitative. Although the movement is characterized by chromaticism, b-flat once again remains prominent, providing the sense of a pedal point against the chromatic motion. A three-note cell (f, g, f-sharp) provides the basis for Beating I, a movement that features a pointillistic piano part that contrasts with a stolid trombone part that never varies from the three-note series. Dirge II, marked Largo, misterioso, begins with the trombonist blowing air through the instrument without tone, while the pianist plays a part derived from the three-note cell of the previous movement. Indeed the first pitches of the trombone part are a retrograde of this cell, now in a lower octave. Fanfare II reprises the repetitive b-flats, this time with a demonstrative piano part adding color. Hommage á Paganini is the most demanding movement for the trombonist. Marked prestissimo, it features rapid scales and register extremes. The movement begins on d-flat2, ends on d2, and rises to f-sharp2 in the middle. Ensemble is difficult: the piano part contains contrary scalar motion; the pianist must play with his palms; and both parts must line up. Beating II closes the work dramatically. The composer once again revisits the three-note cell. This time the trombone part is more sustained and inversions of the cell require large interval leaps.

I have a mixed response to this work. At first glance it made little sense to me. With further scrutiny, its organizational detail became apparent - more detail than can be recounted in this brief review. A better understanding of its structure greatly enhanced my opinion of its substance, but probably not enough to move it to the top of my pile of music. Kurtág is a respected Hungarian composer; Six Pieces does have the musical depth to warrant further study and it certainly presents significant technical challenges for any performer.

-Paul Overly 
Bob Jones University