These are fifteen short, but intense works by Leos Janacek, 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 Janacek 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.
