From its’ role in European churches to contemporary jazz, the history of the trombone is as profoundly curled as the instrument itself. The Romantic composer, Berlioz, described the sound the trombone can deliver as “religious accent, calm and imposing to wild clamors of the orgy.” Mozart used trombones only in his operas and sacred compositions and the trombone was used prominently in German military bands to strengthen the bass line.
USM Professor Brian Diehl will present his study of the trombone’s unique historical identity this Friday at the Corthell Concert Hall in Gorham.
“Most people are unaware that the trombone has been around far longer than most wind instruments,” Diehl said.
Diehl’s program begins with “Concerto,” one of the earliest compositions for trombone, written by Johann George Albrechtsberger. Albrechtsberger was an Austrian composer from the 1700’s who is known as a teacher of Beethoven. The second piece will be Diehl, playing his unaccompanied transcription of “Two Dances,” originally composed by Bach, the German, in the early 1700’s. The third selection, “Romance: Op 94,” is a Robert Schumann composition from the romantic 1800’s. Robert Schumann, also German, was a volatile force in Romantic era music. Schumann was a respected composer and critic of music whose interests included girlfriends and champagne. He wrote music under aliases such as Eusebius and Florestan and died in an asylum in 1856 while experiencing hallucinations. An intermission will follow this piece, which Diehl describes as one of the Romantic Era’s most expressive.
“All of the performers onstage in the recital are first rate, so we won’t have to worry about their ability to play the music. We can focus on the subtle nuances, which is where the creative fun begins.” Diehl said. Joining him during the concert will be pianist Martin Perry and Michael Milnarik on tuba.
The second half of the program will feature 20th century works. Milnarik and Diehl will exchange instrumental chops in “Conversations for Trombone and Tuba,” a Charles Small composition from the 1960’s. Second is a 20-minute piece by contemporary composer Eric Ewazen, titled simply, “Sonata for Trombone and Piano.” The closing piece will be “Fantastic Polka,” written by Arthur Prior, who was a trombone soloist in John Philip Sousa’s band during the first half of the 20th century. Diehl describes “Fantastic Polka,” as a “virtuosic closer.”
Diehl has been coordinating the recital since last fall, when he chose a theme, pieces representative of the theme and began looking for performers willing to play and matching dates with the musicians and the University. For the past few weeks, Diehl has been feeling the pressure and excitement leading up to the concert. “I am running the program on my own and trying to build in difficult circumstances, such as playing while exhausted, after running or working out, while hungry, etc. all to better make me able to withstand the rigors of a full-length solo recital. I am, in my mind, pitching game seven of the World Series.”
As a member of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and a player for the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops, Diehl travels extensively and makes adjustments while traveling to accommodate for practice time. “As a professional, I spend as much time as I have on an any given day practicing. Some days, travel cuts into my practice. I do “buzz the mouthpiece” in the car on occasion as a pre-warm up on those days.”
The exertion needed to play a wind instrument requires Diehl to perform several exercises each day strictly for breath control. “I do try and stay in shape in general. As we age, our lungs naturally tend to reduce in their ability to expand, so I try to counteract that process,” he said.
Diehl expects the concert to be and exciting and informative experience for the musicians as well as the audience.
The concert, “A Trombonist’s View of Musical History,” begins at 8 p.m., Friday October 29, in Corthell Concert Hall on the USM Gorham campus. Tickets for this concert are $15 for general admission, $10 for seniors, faculty, and staff, and $5 for students. A reception will follow in the first floor lobby.