Review

John Mindeman
Fanfare, Chorale and Rant:
Trombone and piano

Macomb, Illinois, United States
Publisher: johnmindeman.com
Date of Publication: 2019
URL: http://www.johnmindeman.com

Score and solo part.

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

Fanfare, Chorale and Rant, by John Mindeman, was commissioned by trombonist and educator Zsolt Szabo for performance at the 2019 International Trombone Festival. Mindeman, a fellow trombonist and professor at Western Illinois University, gifts us with a carefully crafted work in a modern yet accessible idiom. It deserves attention and performance.

The Fanfare is characterized by arpeggiated figuration, first ascending then descending. The melodic material is derived from a B-flat major/C major polychord introduced in the piano part. The lines expand incrementally upward through new harmonic material to a climax on high b-flat¹. The mood of the movement is demonstrative and energetic.

The Chorale, marked Adagio tenero (gracefully and tenderly), is introduced by a brief cadenza. Each subsequent chorale phrase is succeeded by a cadenza. The cadenzas seem to provide a heightened commentary on the chorale - each cadenza becoming increasingly more intricate. The polychords that created the framework for the first movement are also important in this movement.

No title is more descriptive of our current public discourse than “The Rant.” As one would expect, the mood of music changes dramatically. Its tempo is fast. The melodic lines are angular. Its rhythm is syncopated and meters change frequently. The polychordal harmonies expressed in the piano part also inspire the melodic content in the trombone part.

Fanfare, Chorale and Rant merits serious consideration for your solo library. It is challenging but not ridiculously difficult, accessible to many college level trombonists. The music itself has depth and is rewarding, modern but not “gimmicky.” I have derived great enjoyment in studying it; it will become a new part of my studio repertoire.