Review

Antonin Dvorak [sic]
Romance:

Arranged by Geoffrey Bergler

Tuba or bass trombone

Vancouver, BC, , Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2016
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and solo part

Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - unaccompanied

Mr. Bergler’s arrangement of this short piece is a welcome addition to the tuba/bass trombone repertoire for several reasons. It is not extremely taxing nor technical, yet it has a nice flow and melodic quality. A younger student, say in high school or early years of college, can focus on beauty of sound and great musicality without the frightening prospect of wide arpeggios, fast tonguing or extremes of range.

 

Octave slurs from the middle range, upper range on tuba, f-F or d-D, present opportunities for work on a smooth slur, accurate “landing,” and uniform pitch and tone color. Range is moderate, from b-flat down to the ending on BB-flat. Half notes and quarter notes predominate, with eighths, dotted eighths, and sixteenths used sparingly. The piano part has a consistent, somewhat “nervous” pattern of eighth-sixteenth-sixteenth notes in the right hand from beginning to the last measure.

 

This is a useful work, one which many young players as well as professionals needing a “filler” for a recital program will find enjoyable to play and rewarding to learn.