Review

Paul Dukas
Fanfare from 'La Peri': for 5 trombones

Arranged by Andrew Poirier

One alto, three tenor, one bass trombone

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2019
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 5 trombones

Paul Dukas (1865-1935) wrote his colourful and virtuosic ballet La Péri in 1912, and it was his final major work. It is based on the Persian counterpart of the Adam and Eve story and tells of Iskender’s search for the flower of immortality. He finds it in the possession of the Péri, a fairy descended from a fallen angel, but her seductive dance distracts him.

The rhythmic energy and harmonic tension of this short and brilliant fanfare will serve well as an irresistible program opener. It uses a richly chromatic harmonic vocabulary, originally given in 11 parts, but with frequent doublings, it is essentially covered by five parts. The original key is A-flat; this arrangement is in C major. The first five measures are tutti and marked ff. First part (alto) covers g-e². Tenor clef is used in the tenor trombone parts. Second and third top out at a¹. Bass trombone range is AA-flat-f-flat.

Andrew Poirier plays with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver Brass Project. This arrangement has been recorded by iTromboni on T’Anguish (2018), and is available individually as a download.