Polovtsian Dances - Borodin
Alexander Borodin (1833-1887) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period and a leading member of “The Five”. His orchestral writing leans towards dark, blended sonorities with trombones used as harmonic weight with chorale-like textures.
Alexander Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances was completed in 1876 for the opera Prince Igor. The troombones provide sustained resonance and weight. The ranges for the 2nd and 3rd trombones are unusually wide, with sustained B-flat pedal tones. The 1st trombone’s range is much narrower.
To learn more about the composer, visit Alexander Borodin on Wikipedia.
For more on the composition, visit Polovtsian Dances on Wikipedia.
Performance
Borodin – Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances, conducted by Andrzej Kucybała
Excerpts
Polovstian Dances audio excerpts are available on tromboneexcerpts.org.
Trombone Parts and Full Score
The full score of Prince Igor, which includes Polovtsian Dances is available on IMSLP.org.
NOTE: IMSLP provides access to public-domain scores and parts, with copyright status varying by country. Users are responsible for observing applicable copyright laws.
Trombone parts are available on IMSLP.org as follows:
Ranges and clefs by Part
More Borodin
Trombone Resources playlist of Borodin with trombones in the instrumentation.