Interesting music for amateur orchestra?

MStarke · by **MStarke** » 2024-08-04 9:55 a.m.

Hi all,

I just came back from summer vacation.

Part of it is a yearly music week which we join with the whole family. It's mostly amateurs, with some more or less pros in between (like myself).

This year I only joined the chamber music part because the orchestral piece was without trombones and I had no interest in playing the orchestra and choir piece. (Schubert Eb mass. Would have had to prepare quite a bit on alto and didn't find it nearly interesting enough to do that)

At the end of the week the conductor asked me if I had any suggestions for repertoire that would be interesting for trombones.

Requirements:

- Either purely symphony orchestra or orchestra plus choir or e g trombones or brass plus choir and/or organ

- Not too many special instruments. E g it never had a harp since 2018

- Playable for a very mixed level of musicians

- Trombone parts (or 1st trombone) can be challenging :-D

- It has to be somewhat "conservative". Many people there are somewhat averse to any kind of newer music. Also - while I am not a fan of it - there is a tendency towards Christian choir works

- Still some out of the box ideas would be great!

Some examples:

- Bruckner Ecce Saccerdos for choir, organ and three trombones

- Classical and romantic overture, e g Freischütz, Meistersinger, Ruy Blas

- Dvorak or Brahms symphonies

- Bruckner Requiem

Would be great to get your ideas!

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2024-08-04 10:35 a.m.

I found the Dvorak 9th to have some nice bone licks. Also, I used to double triangle in the 3rd movement where the trombones don't play. In fact, our tuba player covered the lone cymbal crash so we only needed a tympanist and no other percussion players.

If you really want to amp up your bass trombone player, do Borodin's 2nd. He gets two 2 bar solos. In Beethoven 9 he gets a solo D in the 2nd movement -- 3 times.

Generally, most Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Shostakovich pieces have great trombone parts. Rimsky put in some nice solos for 2nd trombone.

stewbones43 · by **stewbones43** » 2024-08-04 12:27 p.m.

Try Dvorak 8th Symphony for a change. Fun trombone parts in last movement!

Rossini Overtures:-

Barber of Seville-revised orchestration.

The Thieving Magpie-revised orchestration.

William Tell.

Malcolm Arnold Little Suites 1&2. Easier but fun.

All are good to play and good to listen to.

Cheers

Stewbones43

MrHCinDE · by **MrHCinDE** » 2024-08-04 12:47 p.m.

Hoping that 1939 wouldn‘t count as too modern I‘ve got a soft spot for the Copland Billy the Kid Suite.

Also like an Elgar symphony.

MStarke · by **MStarke** » 2024-08-04 2:52 p.m.

[quote="BGuttman"]I found the Dvorak 9th to have some nice bone licks. Also, I used to double triangle in the 3rd movement where the trombones don't play. In fact, our tuba player covered the lone cymbal crash so we only needed a tympanist and no other percussion players.

If you really want to amp up your bass trombone player, do Borodin's 2nd. He gets two 2 bar solos. In Beethoven 9 he gets a solo D in the 2nd movement -- 3 times.

Generally, most Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Shostakovich pieces have great trombone parts. Rimsky put in some nice solos for 2nd trombone.[/quote]

A Dvorak symphony could be an option. The Russian stuff is probably not so ideal because the string section is rather small in that setting and imo that doesn't work for those works. Also it's a bit funny how just a few solo notes can make a piece interesting for the trombones :-)

MStarke · by **MStarke** » 2024-08-04 2:54 p.m.

[quote="stewbones43"]Try Dvorak 8th Symphony for a change. Fun trombone parts in last movement!

Rossini Overtures:-

Barber of Seville-revised orchestration.

The Thieving Magpie-revised orchestration.

William Tell.

Malcolm Arnold Little Suites 1&2. Easier but fun.

All are good to play and good to listen to.

Cheers

Stewbones43[/quote]

Thanks, those overtures could be a great fit!

MStarke · by **MStarke** » 2024-08-04 2:55 p.m.

[quote="MrHCinDE"]Hoping that 1939 wouldn‘t count as too modern I‘ve got a soft spot for the Copland Billy the Kid Suite.

Also like an Elgar symphony.[/quote]

Not sure if those would fit the orchestra, but definitely interesting ideas!

Mamaposaune · 2024-08-04 6:44 p.m.

Here are some I have enjoyed playing, either with a youth orchestra years ago, or more recently with community orchestras:

Chabrier - Espana

Berlioz - Roman Carnival

Shostakovich - Festive Overture

Khachaturian - Sabre Dance

Gershwin - American in Paris

Gershwin - Porky and Bess ('bone solo!)

Copland - Billy the Kid

Copland - Buckaroo Holiday from Rodeo ('bone solo!)

Grofe - Grand Canyon Suite

Rossini - William Tell Overture

Rossini - La Gazza Ladre

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2024-08-04 7:57 p.m.

Grand Canyon Suite is by Ferde Grofe, not Copland.

Hoedown from Rodeo (another of the members of the suite) also contains a bone solo.

If I remember correctly, Espana has a bone solo as well.

Mamaposaune · 2024-08-04 8:38 p.m.

[quote="BGuttman"]Grand Canyon Suite is by Ferde Grofe, not Copland.

Hoedown from Rodeo (another of the members of the suite) also contains a bone solo.

If I remember correctly, Espana has a bone solo as well.[/quote]

Thanks, Bruce - just fixed it.

As far as a solo in Hoedown, I'm pretty sure it is in the bass trombone part. And also pretty sure that Espana has some exposed unison solis, but no solos.

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2024-08-04 8:48 p.m.

I've played both Hoedown and Buckaroo. The solo in Hoedown sounds like it should be for the bass trombone but it is in the 1st trombone part. Bass trombone has some great licks in Hoedown along with the tuba.

hyperbolica · by **hyperbolica** » 2024-08-04 9:59 p.m.

Marquez Danzon #2 is a lot of fun for everyone. I played it as a ringed with a college orchestra. Great piece.

Bruckner, Dvorak, Saint Seans, Copland, all standard community orchestra stuff.

Also, I've recorded the Bruckner 3 bones, choir and organ piece. It was the best musical experience of my life. Really powerful stuff.

MStarke · by **MStarke** » 2024-08-05 10:31 a.m.

Lots of interesting suggestions!

Some of these are certainly much more popular in the US than in Germany, but would be great to play them at some point.

I personally would love to play a Verdi or Puccini overture.

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2024-08-05 11:06 a.m.

I can't remember at the moment, but there is one Verdi overture that begins with a trombone chorale (Nabuco?).

MStarke · by **MStarke** » 2024-08-05 11:24 a.m.

[quote="BGuttman"]I can't remember at the moment, but there is one Verdi overture that begins with a trombone chorale (Nabuco?).[/quote]

Yes, that's Nabucco. Wonderful music, interesting for trombones. Most of the Italian stuff would ideally require a cimbasso. However in amateur environments, a tuba is certainly acceptable. Maybe I even find a contra until then which would also be an option.

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2024-08-05 1:25 p.m.

One orchestra I was in did Forza del Destino. For the cimbasso part I put a tuba mouthpiece in my bass trombone. Probably came closer to the right sound than my F-tuba.

MrHCinDE · by **MrHCinDE** » 2024-08-12 8:09 p.m.

Bonus item:

Nielsen 2 symphony

(If the strings have some soul)

StephenK · by **StephenK** » 2024-08-13 7:40 a.m.

Here are a few of the shorter pieces from my (UK based) orchestra in recent times:

Malcolm Arnold Cornish Dances ( could also use Scottish etc.)

Florence Price Colonial Dance

Samuel Coleridge Taylor La Bamboula

Berlioz Hungarian March from Damnation of Faust

John Williams Adventures on Earth (ET) and Theme from Jurassic Park . Don't use knock-off arrangements. Good Film music can go well

We do quite a number of commissions and longer works, but maybe shorter works will get a start.

Good luck!

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Interesting music for amateur orchestra?