Quintet (Strings)

Quintet (Strings) Manny Albams 1983 virtuoso work for Trombones and String Quartet is in three movements. It was commissioned by Dr. John Marcellus and premiered at the Eastman School of Music. The first movement is an Allegro, dissonant and strident. The Trombone soloist alternates between high and low registers, with lyrical and technical passages. The strings act as the glue that holds the musical line together. The second movement is a lyrical Adagio. The third and final movement is an Allegro using arpeggios going from low to high alternating with staccato patterns. This work is appropriate for a virtuoso Trombone soloist and string quartet and about 15 minutes in length. The short audio samples below are taken from each of the three movements and are from a recording beautifully performed by Trombonist Jim Pugh and colleagues.