Program Note:
The Sonata for Trombone and Piano was commissioned by Matt Walley in 2012. The work is in three movements and is driven by a twelve-tone harmonic scheme. The initial movement features the angular agility of the trombone in a brilliant fanfare. The second movement is a tragic march, expressed through the instrument’s majestic power and beautiful lyricism. The fast-paced third movement requires crisp multiple tonguing before returning to the fanfare from the beginning of the work. Throughout the piece, the piano is an integral partner with the trombone, playing an intricate counterpoint and at times playing its own solo material.