Return to composition list: By Genre / By Opus

AltEtudes, Op. 171 (2024)

For Solo Alto Trombone

Score Video:

Perusal Score:

Duration: 14'

  1. 1. Mt. Kosciuszko
  2. 2. Mt. Vinson
  3. 3. Mt. Elbrus
  4. 4. Mt. Kilimanjaro
  5. 5. Denali
  6. 6. Aconcagua
  7. 7. Mt. Everest
  8. 8. Mauna Kea

Program Notes:

This piece is the seventh in a series of Christmas gifts for my dear friend Noah Lauziere.

Noah acquired an alto trombone last year for a performance of Mozart's Requiem. On and off he has discussed the paucity of alto trombone etudes - they certainly exist, but it's not exactly a thriving market. Therefore, I decided to throw my hat in the ring with this book of etudes. This is not a beginning or progressive etude book (although I might get around to writing one in the future), but rather one that assumes significant prior trombone experience that just needs to get transferred to alto.

When conceiving the book of alto etudes, my mind naturally went to "Altitudes", so each etude is named after the highest point on each continent, plus Mauna Kea - the highest mountain on earth measured from its base on the seafloor. Each etude deals with a particular aspect of alto trombone playing and each incorporates a musical theme local to the mountain it is named after:

1. Mt. Kosciuszko (Australia) - Low range; women's morning song as found on p. 34 of R. H. Mathews's Notes on the Aborigines... of New South Wales, Sydney: William Applegate Gullick, Government Printer, 1907. https://archive.org/details/notesonaborigine00math/page/34/mode/1up?view=theater

2. Mt. Vinson (Antarctica) - Long tones; original music, since there is no native Antarctican music

3. Mt. Elbrus (Europe) - Lip slurs; L?zginka, a Caucasian folk dance by Mü?fiq Abdullayev https://musescore.com/user/27725609/scores/5966357

4. Mt. Kilimanjaro (Africa) - Rhythm; Wagogo Marimba https://folkcloud.com/song/1218/east-africa-ceremonial--folk-music/wagogo-marimba

5. Denali (North America) - Extended techniques; an Athabaskan springtime song from Koyukuk composed by Old Toby, as found on p. 27 of Koyukon Athabaskan Dance Songs https://library.alaska.gov/hist/hist_docs/docs/anlm/41699107.pdf, p. 27

6. Aconcagua (South America) - Articulation; The traditional Bolivian song Jach'a Uru, arr. Michael Rodriguez https://clas.osu.edu/sites/default/files/Andean%20Music%20Outreach%20Teachers%27%20Guide%20and%20Idea%20Cards.pdf

7. Mt. Everest (Asia) - High range; the Sherpa song Kangri Kapi Kawa as recorded on Music of a Sherpa Village https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgz56XryJfY

8. Mauna Kea (Earth) - A combination of everything; Queen Liliuokalani's Aloha Oe https://files.hawaii.gov/dags/archives/M494/M494-3-2_o.pdf