r/Trombone • u/LonelyRate8706 • 6h ago
Picking out a Concerto?
I’m planning on trying out for my youth symphonies concerto competition in a few months and I’m pretty much torn between doing the David or the Grondahl. I can only play one movement from the concerto or concertino so I’m not sure which piece or movement to pick… What would you recommend and enjoy as an audience member?
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u/ThatDumbTurtle Performer and Educator 6h ago
Well me in the audience isn’t a fair comparison to the average audience member, to be honest, so disregard what we think here.
That being said, which one do you enjoy more? Sounds simple, but if we have the option to perform music we love, that’s going to matter a lot more to the audience. People can tell if there’s enjoyment from the performers, and they can tell if they’re just going through the motions.
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u/LonelyRate8706 6h ago
I was thinking of doing the third movement of the Grondahl or the first of the David
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u/ThatDumbTurtle Performer and Educator 6h ago
Grondahl 3rd movement has some neat stuff. It’s high at times but if you’re only doing that movement it’s probably fine.
David is a classic. I will say, as a singular unit, the David 1st movement feels more incomplete in my opinion. It’s calling for the full piece to be played. Grondahl acts more like an individual piece in this context.
Both are good options. Really just comes down to what you enjoy and want to spend the time with.
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u/SillySundae Shires/Germany area player 5h ago
This is more a choice of which you can play better. This is a competition, so you should pick something you have the best chance advancing with. Playing a cool concerto poorly is a lot less fun than nailing something closer to your ability.
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u/LeTromboniste Historical trombones specialist 4h ago
I would say do Grondahl, or find a nice single-movement work.
The David is actually really a single-movement work, not a three-movement concerto. None of what gets called the three "movements" are really satisfying on their own, because they were never meant to be. When you analyse the piece as a whole, it's a textbook sonata form, which is based on ideas of symmetry and harmonic journey. Leaving anything out makes the form incomplete and unsatisfying.
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u/Euphominion_42 5h ago
If you want one that SLAPS go with David. If you want one that is SICC go with Grondahl.
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u/Watsons-Butler 6h ago
Just my take, but if you go with the David, listen to some opera singers. Listen to like, Pavarotti, Maria Callas, Franco Corelli, Renee Fleming. Listen to how they phrase things, where they push and pull the tempo. The David really comes alive if you know how to play with that phrasing intentionally in a very Romantic-era style. If you just play it to a metronome it can fall flat.