There is no question that Tchaikovsky’s last symphony contains some of the most challenging, yet also some of the most rewarding music for the orchestral trombone section. The writing is consistently idiomatic and well thought out. The trombones and tuba have plenty of opportunities to shine in both loud and soft dynamics.
The problem with this symphony is knowing how to approach it. Far too many people have a decidedly lax attitude towards Tchaikovsky, believing that the music is easy to play and rather trite. Nothing could be further from the truth in this symphony. There are plenty of passages that require the utmost delicacy and finesse, while there are others that demand sheer brute force. Nowhere else in the entire symphonic repertoire will you come across low brass writing that ranges from ppppp to ffff within the same piece.
The bass trombone has such a satisfying rôle to play in this symphony, at times playing the usual octaves/unison with the tuba and other trombones, yet also with a degree of independence that afford it the opportunity to act as a surrogate bassoon at times.
Tchaikovsky wastes no time in beginning his frequent demands of the bass trombonist in this symphony. The first movement is replete with passages that require deftness, precision, tremendous force and the utmost delicacy.
Movement I
The first passage to examine combines all of these:
Here the bass trombone moves down to p from fff to perform the lowest part in a Russian Orthodox chant, which builds up to a ff climax, which sees the part alternate between the upper octave to the tuba and the lower octave to the first trombone, with which it continues until rehearsal letter M in an exposed octave passage that requires great control.
Perhaps the most physically demanding passage occurs at the end of the development section, where the trombones perform a unison passage, commencing in octaves with the bass trombone and tuba in unison below the first and second (also in unison). The tuba drops out as the trombones rise up in unison, then joins again as the first trombone drops out while the passage descends to its low E♯ climax. Here the bass trombone is absolutely pivotal. In particular from bas 296 onwards, the bass trombone leads the show because the second trombone drops out just before rehearsal letter R to leave the lower two parts pressing on downwards towards the low E♯, which is just about the loudest one will ever be required to play and requires a massive sound.
The danger, of course, is to overblow. Do not fall into the trap of beginning too loudly. The first few bars of this passage have the bass trombone and tuba in unison echoing the horns and should reflect their dynamic level so as not to overbalance. There is no crescendo marked or otherwise implied here. Maintain a steady forte until the fortissimo marcato passage in bar 286. Here it is important to remember to back off a little when rising up to bar 290. The trombones are all in unison by this point and can be heard very easily without forcing the tone. Besides, there is still a long way to go until the passage reaches its peak and comes to rest on the low E♯ in bar 299. From bar 296, the bass trombone effectively leads the lower three parts and continues down to a blisteringly loud low E♯ that could well leave you feeling dizzy if you aren’t used to playing at extreme dynamic levels in the low register. Practice, as always, is the key.
Equally challenging is the entry immediately after this passage, when the bass trombone plays piano over the double basses, supporting the bass line on its own. It is quite exposed and reasonably quiet, all the more challenging after the very loud passage just before. The very end of the movement sees the trombones echo the horns in a very quiet B major chord that dies away to nothing.
Movement II
The second movement presents no great challenges, but does provide some beautiful writing to revel in. The bass trombone is treated here rather like it is in the Waltz of the Flowers in The Nutcracker, playing an octave above the pizzicato double basses on its own to hold the bass line. A unison passage with the tuba that occurs twice answers the first and second trumpets and trombones.
Movement III
The third movement is definitely more of a challenge. The music contains both quiet and very loud dynamics, little solos and a superb ending. The passage commencing at rehearsal letter F starts with a small figure in the bass trombone, which is echoed by all the other brasses (save the tuba). The bass trombone sets the style here; the passage is short, pianissimo, with just the right amount of accent on the first note to be heard clearly. Choice of equipment plays an important part here, for the largest, heaviest instrument with a deep, wide mouthpiece will usually not produce the clarity and precision required. The passage continues with the bass trombone doubling the second trombone and moving to support the tuba in bar 65.
The passage commencing at rehearsal letter U builds up to a restatement of the march at rehearsal letter Y. The bass trombone joins in with the other trombones, trumpets and horns in contributing snatches of the march theme, which culminate in the trombones issuing a challenge to the entire orchestra in bar 213, restated fortississimo in bar 215. The trombones are completely independent here, with the bass trombone reinforcing the first and second an octave lower. A good, strong sound is required to support the upper parts.
This movement is often thought of as being rather jolly because of the march music, which can easily sound like a military band. However, there is a difference. Tchaikovsky marks the passage at rehearsal letter Y fortississimo, which does and should have a different timbre from fortissimo. The sound should be more intense such that this passage loses any sense of jollity and instead takes on a sense of the macabre, rather like the relentless march theme in the first movement of the Seventh Symphony by Shostakovich. The sheer brutality of the music and the very high dynamic level should leave you feeling exhausted and ruined by the end of the movement.
Tchaikovsky interweaves the trombone parts very carefully in this section. The bass trombone and second trombone cross over at times, with the bass trombone always either supporting the tuba in the upper octave or unison, or the first trombone in the lower octave. The parts dovetail at times as well, so careful balancing between the voices is required to ensure consistency of dynamics.
The end of the movement is quite challenging. Loud dynamics, dovetailing and rapid slide movement are all required together. In bar 318 the bass trombone joins the tuba with the march motif and by bar 330 the two instruments play a short, clipped version of the bass line, stripped of the triplets that are in the bassoons, cellos and basses. This is Tchaikovsky’s method of ensuring the bass trombone and tuba stay out of the way of the moving triplet line, so ensure that the semiquavers are kept very short. From bar 326 the part becomes more interesting, supporting the bass line with the tuba and finally supporting the first and second trombones in bar 340, while crashing on with the tuba after the first and second trombones drop out in bar 341, which again requires careful balancing of dynamics to ensure the two octave descending scalic passage is kept even. The trombones and tuba finish the movement with a loud, closed position G major triad and an abrupt triplet figure that should leave the listener feeling as though a hollow victory has been achieved.
Movement IV
The last movement does not contain much music for the trombones, but the bass trombone again has some exposed writing and supports the bass line with the double basses, as well as leading the build up to the climax in a scalic passage commencing on low E with the second trombone. Remember to back off as the passage rises; the first trombone enters the fray to take over and continue the passage upwards through the trumpets.
The coda contains one of the most challenging quiet chorale passages in the entire symphonic repertoire. This passage begins with a soft stroke on the solo tamtam, followed by the trombones and tuba intoning a mournful, funereal chorale ending on a chord of F♯ major marked ppppp (the example contains a misprint). The key here is not to begin the passage too quietly, otherwise there is little scope for diminuendo and there is much softening through this section that is required. The trombones all move downwards, while the tuba moves upwards through this passage. In order to help with keeping the dynamics down in the final chord, it is helpful to play the A♯ in the bass trombone part in third position on the F side of the instrument.
This symphony is a tremendously challenging piece to play emotionally as well as physically and contains some of the most beautiful music Tchaikovsky wrote. The joy of playing the trombone in works such as this is that you have possibly the best seat in the house in which to enjoy it.
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