These are fifteen short, but intense works by Leos Janácek, who wrote so beautifully for the Trombone, but composed no solo music for the it. This music is indeed a great gift to the Trombone solo literature by Mr. Sauer. These pieces can be performed by intermediate to advanced performers and are about 9 minutes total in length.
Below are a few notes from the arrangement by Ralph Sauer.
Originally for solo piano, the Fifteen Moravian Folksongs are remarkable for their musicality as well as their brevity - the only notated, repeated passage in the entire work is in Number 5. Because Janácek included the text in his piano score (with no indication that it should be sung), and the fact that there are, in many cases, indications that the text is only a first verse, I have included some additional repeats.
The mp3 sound sample is from a recital at the 2012 Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. Performance by Ralph Sauer, trombone and Natasha Kislenko, piano.
Free pdf Sample
Link to YouTube performance on Piano
In 1974, Sauer was named Principal Trombonist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic by Zubin Mehta. He made his Los Angeles Philharmonic concerto debut in 1979, performing Kazimierz Serocki's Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra with Zubin Mehta conducting - a work whose U.S. premiere Sauer gave at the Eastman School of Music in 1965. In March 2003, Sauer premiered Augusta Read Thomas’s Trombone Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. He was also a frequent performer with the Philharmonic's New Music Group. He retired from the orchestra in 2006.
Sauer has appeared as soloist with many orchestras and has given master classes and recitals throughout Europe, Scandinavia, Japan, Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada, and the United States. He has appeared at the Stratford, Marlboro, and Aspen summer music festivals and was visiting professor at the Eastman School of Music as well as an instructor with the New World Symphony (Miami) and the International Brass Festival in Melbourne (Australia). Currently, Sauer is on the faculty of Music Academy of the West and Arizona State University. He has taught many prominent trombonists, including Christian Lindberg.
Sauer is a founding member of Summit Brass, and is a clinician for Shires trombones.
He is featured on a number of recordings, including: A recording of works by Teleman, Handel, Haydn, and others (with Zita Carno on keyboards) (Crystal Records) The Mahler Symphony No. 3 , with Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic (with Anna Larsson, contralto; Donald Green, posthorn; Martin Chalifour, violin; Paulist Boy Choristers of California, Women of the Los Angeles Master Chorale) (Sony Classical)
Two discs of orchestral excerpts for trombone with commentary (Summit Records, OrchestraPro series). These are among the most sought after discs for those preparing for orchestral trombone auditions.
