Sonata for Bass Trombone by Henri Martelli

Recorded in February, 2020 in Auer Hall at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
Denson Paul Pollard, Bass Trombone
Kimberly Carballo, Piano
Stefan Wiebe, Recording Engineer
Assistance from the 2019/20 Pollard bass trombone studio at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University
Henri Martelli (February 25, 1895 in Bastia - July 15, 1980 in Paris) was a French composer, teacher, and champion of Neoclassical composition techniques. He studied law at the University of Paris from 1912-1919, while simultaneously taking courses at the Paris Conservatory from 1912-1924. During this time, he studied fugue-writing and harmonic techniques with Georges Caussade, while honing his compositional skills with a highly influential figure of French Neoclassicism, Charles-Marie Widor. After his studies, Martelli remained in Paris, was an influential French radio director, and maintained close ties to the Paris Conservatory. His Sonata for Bass Trombone and Piano, Op. 87 was written in 1956 for the conservatory’s annual solo competition at the commission of Professor Paul Bernard, although it has since fallen into relative obscurity. The sonata was obviously composed using loose twelve tone techniques and is a rare example of serial music in the canon of bass trombone solo repertoire. It is quirky in nature and demands that the performer have a a strong sense of rhythm and a command of extreme dynamics. Written by Robert Rosen.
This recording is dedicated to Paul Bernard (1912-1981), who was the first bass trombone teacher in France. His name is recognizable because many solos from France written in the middle of the twentieth century were dedicated to him with the familiar “A Paul Bernard.”
Monsieur Bernard was mainly the tuba/saxhorn player with the Paris Opera but early in his career also played bass trombone when needed. He created the Tuba/saxhorn (small tuba) Class at the CNSMD of Paris (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris) in 1948. In 1953, as the bass trombone started to emerge in the world as a distinct instrument with dedicated methods and solos, the conservatory added bass trombone players. There were 4 Players on each instrument (4 Saxhornists, 4 Tubists and 4 Bass Trombonists). For 27 years, (1953-1980) Paul Bernard taught the bass trombone in this common Class.
For many years at the CNSMD, a system was in place where every studio could commission a new piece for the end of the year recital, called the “Concours des prix.” As Monsieur Bernard was the teacher of the tuba, sax horn, bass trombone class, this explains why the many solos that were dedicated to him were written for bass trombone, tuba and saxhorn. He wrote a “Complete Method for Bass Trombone, Tuba, Bass and Counter-Bass Saxhorn” that was widely used. Around 1980, the same year that Paul Bernard retired, because of a lack of budget, the system of commissioning new pieces every year ended.
Considering that his whole family died in World War II and he was mostly self taught, Bernard managed to keep a strong sense of humor. An example is that once during a rehearsal, the conductor asked "tuba please play this part with mute.” Bernard’s reply was "sorry maestro I don't have my mute.” When the conductor asked him to get the mute, he came back two days later because the mute was at his holiday house.
Thank you to Fabrice Millicher, Fabian Wallerand, Jacques Mauger, Frederic Potier, Yves Bauer, Guillaume Varupenne and Clementine Serpentine for help with research on Paul Bernard.

[@jasonkong6450]

Amazing!

[@erikpignotti4871]

Hello!
Great piece and wonderful playing!
Where is it possible to buy this piece?
Thank you!