Oraculum: Trombone

$26.95 USD

Oraculum: Trombone

Name: Oraculum: Trombone
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-EP68739
Price: 26.95 USD
Availability: InStock

for Solo Trombone

By George Lewis

Level: Advanced

Item: 98-EP68739

$26.95

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Composer and trombonist George Lewis brings the unimagined to both his music and his performing, so it was natural that Bruce Collings (trombonist with Ensemble Musikfabrik for almost three decades) asked Lewis to create a new solo piece for a commission by the group. In Oraculum, the trombone soloist gives a dramatic string of virtuosic speeches in unknown dialects with simply a rubber plunger for a mute.

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Series: Edition Peters

Publisher: Edition Peters

ISBN10: 0-577-02505-8

ISBN13: 979-0-577-02505-6

SKU: 98-EP68739

More about this title

About the Composer: George Lewis

George Lewis is a composer and trombonist whose work defies conventional categories. His musical language draws from contemporary classical traditions, jazz, improvisation, and experimental practices, creating pieces that challenge both performers and listeners to hear the instrument anew. Lewis has been instrumental in expanding the vocabulary of his own instrument while also composing across ensembles and mediums, earning recognition as one of the most significant creative voices in contemporary music.

As both maker and player, Lewis understands the trombone's full expressive range. His compositions often foreground the human voice within instrumental sound, exploring extended techniques and the sonic possibilities that emerge when players push beyond traditional boundaries. His commissioning relationship with performers like Bruce Collings reflects his commitment to creating works that demand excellence and invention from the musicians who perform them.

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Why we love this

Oraculum demands that advanced trombonists reconsider what their instrument can express. Rather than displaying virtuosity for its own sake, Lewis uses rapid articulations and plunger effects to create a narrative quality, as if the trombone is speaking in tongues. For soloists ready to move beyond conventional repertoire, this piece offers both technical challenge and genuine artistic depth.

What to expect

Oraculum immerses you in unfamiliar sonic territory. The trombone becomes an instrument of utterance, delivering rapid-fire declarations and ruminations that feel urgent and personal despite their technical complexity. The plunger transforms the voice into something otherworldly, creating an atmosphere that hovers between incantation and speech.

Who it's for

Advanced trombonists seeking solo repertoire that ventures beyond the standard classical canon. This work rewards performers who are comfortable with contemporary techniques and who want to expand the expressive possibilities of their instrument in a serious artistic context.

How to get the most out of it

Treat the plunger as an expressive tool rather than a mute. Experiment with how partially inserting and withdrawing it changes the timbral quality of each phrase, allowing you to shape the 'dialect' of each section.
Approach the virtuosic passages with clarity of intention. Lewis's rapid articulations work best when each note serves the dramatic arc of the speech rather than becoming a blur of technical display.
Listen to recordings of extended vocal techniques and speech patterns to inform your interpretation of the 'unknown dialects.' The piece invites you to find your own voice within its framework.

How to use it

Reserve this for a concert featuring contemporary trombone literature or a program exploring extended techniques across brass instruments. It works powerfully as a standalone solo statement or paired with other 21st-century works that challenge ensemble expectations. This is a piece that changes how audiences hear the trombone.