First published in 1925, this newly engraved 2008 volume is a faithful rendering of the original work, with no additional editorial marks with the exception of error corrections (these are clearly indicated in grayscale). Annotated by Chicago Symphony Orchestra trombonist Michael Mulcahy, this volume is highly useful for the study of rhythmic accuracy, articulation, clefs and of course, musicality. Edition by Andrey Kharlamov, Michael Deryugin and Michael Mulcahy. 55 pages. "The repetitive nature of these studies offers a particularly valuable opportunity for the fortification of the accuracy that is required at orchestral auditions. Although six of these sequences are lyrical in nature, the emphasis is very much on articulation, passagework and agility. To that extent, Blazhevich's focus in these studies is considerably more systematically technical than his more famous School in Clefs. Rhythm is the likely culprit for the most common carelessness on our instrument. Perhaps our repertoire features less rhythmic intricacy than the repertoire of the violin or piano, but that is no excuse for a lack of accuracy. When Blazhevich began the composition of these Sequences for Trombone, he had been solo trombonist of the Bolshoi for 14 years. I theorize that these etudes are his specific response to the consistency required of the professional trombonist and an excellent preparation for the successful realization of an orchestral audition. --Michael Mulcahy. NOTE: This 26 Sequences is the official replacement for the various "Sequences" books and variants previously published by International Music, Accura and others.
