Trois Tableaux

In this work for solo trombone and trombone quartet, the composer evokes the most discerning sound, dynamic and rhythmic resourcefulness trombones can offer. With the exception of their musical form, these Trois Tableaux [Three Pictures] have nearly all features of a concertino. The work starts with an astounding Carrousel [Carousel] lead by the soloist and supported by fiendishly precise rhythmical riffs by the interspersed voices of the quartet. In the following Nocturne, the solo trombone develops a simple and touching melody over a warm and smooth harmonic background played by the quartet trombones in cup mutes. The Tarantella, a mythical bouncy collective dance created to dispel the fatal bite of the tarantula, has inspired countless composers over the course of time and this new one, composed here by Jean-François Michel, is powerfully suggestive of the exciting effects of the trance of bringing one back to life! These Trois Tableaux offer a rich artistic material, extremely stimulating for masterclasses or examinations, but also as a highlight for concerts.