TromboneChat

I was giving a lecture this morning on low brass fundamentals and typical/idiomatic orchestration in an upper level composition class, when I got asked this question,

"Say a student knocked on your office door, and asked 'Mr Wilson I know you're really busy but could you take a look at the trombone part for my project coming up?' When the student handed you the part, and you saw it was so beautiful and such a perfect trombone part that you wept tears of joy; what would be on that part?"

I went to my prepared example of Dvorak 9, as it's fun, not too exhausting for the trombones, not crazy complicated with lots of very cool trombone moments. A good trombone part. Looking back on this I am not sure that it is THE best trombone part, as I can think of 20-30 trombone parts that are just as cool, fun, not chop busters. But then, what makes the best trombone part?

Let me hear your thoughts! What is, in your opinion, the best trombone part?

Kalinnikov 1

Yep, it's Kalinnikov 1. Especially the bass trombone part. None of the parts look like much on the page, but when you play them, it's the most satisfying stuff you'll ever get to play, it's all idiomatic, and you're not sitting for 40 minutes before you get to play. Truly perfect trombone parts.

I'll put Borodin 2 right up there as well. The Russians really knew how to make trombonists happy!

To my ears at least: Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin