Review

Igor Stravinsky
Disappearance of Kastxhei's Palace and Magical Creations, Return to Life of the Petrified Knights, General Rejoicing:

Arranged by Matthew Buckmaster

2 altos, 4 tenors, 2 basses (tubas)

, United States
Publisher: Wehr's Music House
Date of Publication: 2004
URL: http://www.wehrs-music-house.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 8 trombones

This masterpiece, one of three Stravinsky created for Diaghilev's ballets, receives a credible treatment by Buckmaster. Set in B-flat, a half-step down from the original, the arranger admonishes trombonists "not to over-articulate every new note." This unsolicited advice raises the possibility that someone may have recently had a bad lesson.

Buckmaster writes for eight trombones but allows for the first and second parts to be played on alto trombone, and the lower two parts to be played on tuba, as the "differing tone of the tuba is desirable..." This confusion notwithstanding, the power and subtlety of the music are projected by Buckmaster's knowledgeable use of dynamics, sharing of melodic material, and encouragement to stagger breaths. The harp glissandi of the original may prove untenable for trombones, but the brevity of the piece, about 2:45, makes it an excellent choice for an encore. The first part includes some treble clef and an e-flat2, and the first and second parts have trills on g-flat1 and c-flat2 respectively. The eighth part goes down to FF.

-Joel Elias
Sacramento State University