Review

Ilya Reijngoud
Hippo on the Run:

Coventry, , United Kingdom
Publisher: Warwick Music Publishers
Date of Publication: 2005
URL: http://www.warwickmusic.com

Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - unaccompanied

Those of us “young” enough will remember a song by Flanders and Swan called “The Hippopotamus Song.” The only comparison to be made with that song and this piece is the humour. This composition has nothing to do with wallowing around in the mud. Hippos they tell me are quite agile creatures and this piece reflects that agility and dexterity. Flexibility and coordination are definite requisites to play this piece. Having said that however, the notes fall quite easily under the slide, and there is opportunity to explore sonority of tone. Even the short pedal notes that serve as springboards to interval jumps can be rich in their depth. This piece is fun from start to finish, but those who do not find multiphonics easy will need to practice on those aspects quite a lot, especially if you don’t wish the Hippo roar that they are supposed to describe coming out as trodden on cat sounds! This is a humorous piece, but one that gives a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment with the necessary employment of skills required.

-Fred Devereux
United Kingdom