Far from home
(2010 rev. 2021) 25' / for four Trombones and Orchestra
The first version was commissioned by the SWR Sinfonieorchester and premiered as Music for Trombone and Orchestra by them on February 13th, 2011 in Stuttgart, Germany, with Mike Svoboda (solo trombone) under the direction of Peter Rundel. This revised version – now with four trombone soloist and a new title – will be premiered on February 13th, 2022 in Mannheim, Germany, with the trombonists Mike Svoboda, Jürgen Schaal, Ilja Danilov, and Jonas Becker and the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz under the directions of Mario Venzago.
Composer's note
Far from home – persistently searching, curiously digressing, ambitiously progressing, lightly deviating, insistently striving, repeatedly attempting, quietly hopeful, steadily expanding, stubbornly confronting, hopefully redeeming.
Instrumentation
Piccolo Flute
2 Flutes
3 Oboes
3 Clarinets in Bb (3rd doubling Bass Clarinet in Bb)
3 Bassoons (3rd doubling Contra Bassoon)
4 Horns
3 Trumpets in Bb
4 Solo Trombones
1 Tuba
Timpani
3 Percussion
Percussion 1
Glockenspiel
Triangle (small)
Clave on a table, dampened with a cloth, and played with hard Xylophone mallets
2 Flexatones, one with and one without knobs and played with a Triangle beater
Megaphone
Percussion 2
Glockenspiel
large Ride Cymbal
Triangle (medium)
Clave on a table, dampened with a cloth, and played with hard Xylophone mallets
2 Flexatones, one with and one without knobs and played with a Triangle beater
Megaphone
Percussion 3
Vibraphone
Bass Drum played with beaters, a Rute, and a broad brush with hard bristles
one Clave on a table, dampened with a cloth, and played with hard Xylophone mallets
Strings (10.8.6.6.4)