With the onset of winter and an all-Russian programme in the orchestra, what better way to kickstart 2015 than by taking a look at Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Op. 13? We will be performing this work in a few days’ time and have been tirelessly dedicating ourselves to approaching it in the right style.
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4
Bruckner’s symphonies almost always seem to pose a conundrum because of the multiple versions that exist of every single symphony. Whatever the reasons for Bruckner’s insecurity, he was prone to rewriting his symphonies after receiving criticism, particularly following the first playthroughs by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and as a result we have the added complexity of multiple versions of each symphony existing.
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6
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.
Schubert: Symphony No. 8
Schubert’s music for trombones is highly rewarding to perform as it shows such remarkable insights into how to score effectively for the instrument. The eighth symphony is one such example, though the late masses (in A♭ major and E♭ major) are notoriously demanding.
Understanding Schubert’s trombone writing is actually very straightforward if we consider that his symphonic works are scored for a section of three B♭ tenor trombones.
Brahms: Symphony No. 1
Having to perform in Brahms’ first symphony in two different orchestras at present, I thought that my first thoughts on the subject of playing the bass trombone for this new blog should be related to this cornerstone of the orchestral repertoire.
Understanding the place of the trombone in Brahms’
