TromboneChat

Maybe this isn't the best place to ask, since this is a "trombone" forum, but you guys are a wealth of information, and there is a specific 'trombone' connection.

I am looking for an transcription of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Russian Easter Festival Overture for wind ensemble that I played back in the 90s. It seems rather unique because of the key that it was in. I can tell because of two parts: from rehearsal "B" and from the trombone solo. For those interested, here is a link to a site with the relevant orchestral excerpts.

Rehearsal "B":
The trombone part starts on middle C in the orchestral version and nearly all other transcriptions I have found with a range going up to E and down to A, and is in the key of F. In the one I played, it starts on Bb with a range going up to D and down to G (and I assume it is in the key of Eb by transposition?? - I have never taken a music theory class or studied it, and I'm terrible about transpositions, just feeding the awful stereotype of trombonists being limited musically, I know).

The solo:
At this point in the piece, most arrangements/transcriptions that I have found recordings of are in the same key as the orchestral version (G). In those, she solo starts on middle C and uses pitches A,B,C,D and ends on middle C. However, the version I recall playing starts on Bb and uses pitches G,A,Bb,C and ends on Bb (and thus I believe is in the key of F by transposition). I have a recording of it (on a very old tape, I admit), I do not recall it ending on C, and my tuners agree with me (holding them up to my speakers).

Does anyone know this transcription? Or perhaps know somewhere that could better ask folks here are unaware of it?

Maybe I'm just crazy, have a bad memory (it was 25+ years ago), and my tape is so degraded that it's off by a whole step.

Thanks in advance!

The only two actual transcriptions I see online are too recent; one is by Shinji Kasama and carries a copyright date of 2005 and the other is by William V. Johnson and is dated 2015. They're also both in the key of F.

There's an arrangement by L. C. Harnsberger that's in Eb, but I seriously doubt that's the one you're looking for, as it's clearly an arrangement rather than a transcription.

It's possible that it was a transcription that was never published commercially. Where did you play it? Any chance you can contact someone there and get them to check their library?

EDIT: Found another transcription. It's by Christiaan Janssen. Copyright looks like 2013 and it, too, is in F.

Thanks for the quick reply.

Unfortunately, the group that I played with disbanded some time ago and all the music was donated (and I don't have a contact where everything was donated). I'm trying to get in contact with some people from back then, but it's proven challenging (it was some time ago).

A bit more information: it was a rather challenging arrangement/transcription. I don't know the rating (I was unaware of music ratings back in the 90s), but I imagine it was 4 or 5. There were at least 3 trombone parts (I played bass trombone at the time). You could be right, perhaps the music director did the transcription personally, or got it from a non-commercial source (the group was a non-profit).

If you're really, REALLY lucky, you might find someone that saved a program (some people do that) that lists whoever transcribed it.

Seems to me there should be an older arrangement or transcription out there. I find it hard to believe that no one did a concert band version before 1994.

AHA! Here's a possibility:
https://chatfieldband.catalogaccess.com/library/2040

Looks like it's out of print, but it's shown as a Level 3 on the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association list.

Apparently this band performed it just this past year:
http://www.windband.org/woodside/concerts.htm

Good luck. I hope this is the one you're looking for.

Thanks for the extra info.

The L. C. Harnsberger version is too recent (copyright on the sample pages says 2005), and it's too short in time (my recording is 15+ minutes long) and not complex enough (only 2 trombone parts).

I followed up with the Chatfield library and their arrangement also starts in the key of F. That doesn't mean it isn't the same one I played, perhaps there are just lots of accidentals.
That arrangement also doesn't have a 5/2 time signature at "B", or a rehearsal M (solo section), so lining it up with the orchestral excerpt is tough when just inquiring about the arrangement and not seeing it.

Thanks for the performance note, I'll follow up with that group as well.

You made a reference to the year 1994 above. What is that for? Another arrangement or transcription? I played my version after 1994, though only by a few years, but one never knows.

Sigh...I really loved playing this piece and am so frustrated that I don't have access to this anymore.

pj0004 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 1:48 pm Thanks for the performance note, I'll follow up with that group as well.

They were playing the Bruce Arlen arrangement.

You made a reference to the year 1994 above. What is that for? Another arrangement or transcription? I played my version after 1994, though only by a few years, but one never knows.

That's the copyright date for the Frank Erickson arrangement.

Well, I found a few more transcriptions/arrangements under the original/alternate title "La Grande Paque Russe" (1960 - by Courtain "Molenaar Edition", 2009 - by Donato Semeraro, and 2017 - by Christiaan Janssen) . These are all high grade (5/6). However, they are all in F, and the Molenaar Edition has the trombones starting on a middle "D" at rehearsal B as we as the solo, so that's unique (or I missed a note in the score that would change everything) -- link to a (legal) site with a preview score.

**EDIT**
And a few more:
One adapted by Henry Sopkin. Also in the key of F.
One arranged by Bocook, and also in F.
One adapted and arranged by LC Harnsberger in 2005. It is in Eb!!! But this one is 3 minutes long and very simplified (only 2 trombone/clarinet/trumpet parts).

And the Arlen arrangement is ~5 minutes long and in F, so that's also not it.

Sigh.