Adagio and Finale, opus 25b by Neal Corwell
an arrangement of two movements extracted from the four-movement concerto for euphonium with orchestra titled Sinfonietta.

Instrumentation: solo euphonium solo with marimba and piano
Copyright: 1995 and 2014
Duration: 8:40 total (3:50 for Adagio, 4:50 for Finale)
Range: BB-flat to c-2
Difficulty: V
Publisher: Nicolai Music
Price: $20
Other Info: Premiered January 2014 during a recital at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. Dr. Corwell was the soloist, accompanied by Kathryn Sincell-Corwell on piano, and Robert McEwen on marimba.

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In 1995 Dr. Corwell wrote and premiered a 4-movement concerto for euphonium and orchestra titled Sinfonietta. 19 years later, he premiered his Adagio and Finale, which features two of the four movements from the earlier composition. A piano reduction of Sinfonietta was already available for those that wished to perform the piece during recitals, but Dr. Corwell felt compelled to create yet another version of the accompaniment that could make use of the additional tonal color provided by the marimba. An added incidental benefit is that the piano part for this version is less demanding than the piano reduction. The combination of marimba and piano, two instruments that compliment one another well, gives the work a unique flavor.

These two movements, when combined, make an excellent recital piece of moderate length. The two movements are contrasting in mood and tempo, but unified in their use of some of the same thematic materials.

Tremolos on a slowly ascending chromatic pattern dominate the dark and somewhat austere opening section of the Adagio, but a dramatic change of mood is felt during the middle portion of the movement. The brighter tempo and spirit of the central contrasting section may distract the listener from the fact that the solo line is actually based on the same melodic ideas found in the darker opening section. The movement is brought to a close with a return to both the tempo and mood with which it began.

The most dominant characteristic of the Finale is an ostinato pattern derived from melodic ideas found in the Adagio. The ostinato gains strength as it proceeds, and the many double-tongued passages in the solo part also add to the intensity as energy builds toward the movement’s dramatic conclusion.