Review

William Pagán-Pérez
Lady Sara: Danza Puertorriqueña for Trombone, Guiro & Piano
Trombone, guiro, piano

Yauco, , Puerto Rico
Publisher: W.P.P.
Date of Publication: 2009
URL: http://www.williampagan.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano
Secondary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with other instruments

William Pagán-Pérez holds the Master of Music degree in trombone performance from the University of Utah, a Brass Instruments Performance Certificate and a BM in Music (Education/Trombone) from the Conservatory of Music in Puerto Rico. He is a former trombone instructor and music history professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico and has taught trombone, euphonium, and music theory at the Preparatory School of the Conservatory of Music in Puerto Rico. He has been dedicated to the promotion and preservation of music education and teaching of musical instruments among teenagers and children of Puerto Rico. During the last ten years he has conducted various beginner and intermediate level concert bands and symphony orchestras; composing, scoring, and arranging music to develop new repertoire with characteristics of the traditional and folkloric music of Puerto Rico, the Afro Caribbean, and Hispano Americas. Mr. Pagan is currently a public school music teacher in the Western New York Area. His website lists numerous works for trombone, bass trombone, trombone quartet and trombone choir: www.williampagan.com

The composer supplied the following information: Scoring for Lady Sara includes tenor trombone, guiro, and piano, although it works for trombone and piano without the guiro. Lady Sara is a Danza puertorriqueña, which is an 18th Century dance and a formal structure used to write classical music during this century in Hispanic Puerto Rico before the United States takeover. The structural form includes an introduction, first melody, second melody, the chant or virtuoso solo, and a recapitulation of the first melody. The form also has a countermelody performed by the piano to keep the old tradition, but the work’s harmonies are modern. A video of this piece is available on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz6VfjU1glc. The sheet music is available for digital download at http://www.sheetmusicplus.com.

Lady Sara is intended for an intermediate level performer, with limited range, technical and musical requirements. It constitutes an interesting contribution to the repertoire for less advanced performers and in terms of the Puerto Rican inspired musical material. Its printing and score layout are both superb.