Song of the Valar
for trombone quartet
Purchase score and parts through Murphy Music Press
Medium Advanced - $45 - ca. 7.5 minutes
View Perusal Score (opens new window)
Commissioned by the Aries Trombone Quartet
Joseph Alessi, Ian Bousfield, Jeremy Wilson, and James Markey
Program Notes:
Song of the Valar for trombone quartet is based on a passage from The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. The Valar in Tolkien’s Middle-earth fictional mythology are a group of spiritual beings who literally sing the universe into being, with the eldest being Ilúvatar serving as the leading voice. Two brothers, Manwë and Melkor, who are broadly represented as good and evil respectively, take up the themes of Ilúvatar. However, Melkor weaves discordant ideas into their song due to his vanity and self-delusion. Finally, Ilúvatar and Manwë tame the dissonance, although the strains of Melkor remain woven in the fabric of the universe. In my composition, the bass trombone presents the themes of Ilúvatar and Manwë, while the first tenor trombone’s muted entrance represents Melkor. The work moves from a bold opening that depicts the chaos prior to creation, followed by the harmonious statements of Manwë and Ilúvatar. A polyrhythmic dance is interrupted by Melkor’s theme which eventually overtakes the remaining three players. As Melkor’s discords build to a climax, it is suddenly interrupted by the bass trombone’s powerful intonation of Manwë’s theme. The piece concludes with a return to harmonic order (represented through perfect fifths), while a hint of discord lingers. The work was commissioned at the request of James Markey for the Aries Trombone Quartet.
Song of the Valar for trombone quartet is based on a passage from The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. The Valar in Tolkien’s Middle-earth fictional mythology are a group of spiritual beings who literally sing the universe into being, with the eldest being Ilúvatar serving as the leading voice. Two brothers, Manwë and Melkor, who are broadly represented as good and evil respectively, take up the themes of Ilúvatar. However, Melkor weaves discordant ideas into their song due to his vanity and self-delusion. Finally, Ilúvatar and Manwë tame the dissonance, although the strains of Melkor remain woven in the fabric of the universe. In my composition, the bass trombone presents the themes of Ilúvatar and Manwë, while the first tenor trombone’s muted entrance represents Melkor. The work moves from a bold opening that depicts the chaos prior to creation, followed by the harmonious statements of Manwë and Ilúvatar. A polyrhythmic dance is interrupted by Melkor’s theme which eventually overtakes the remaining three players. As Melkor’s discords build to a climax, it is suddenly interrupted by the bass trombone’s powerful intonation of Manwë’s theme. The piece concludes with a return to harmonic order (represented through perfect fifths), while a hint of discord lingers. The work was commissioned at the request of James Markey for the Aries Trombone Quartet.