Mason-Sonata: No Horns Barred arr. for French Horn and Piano (2017)

Sonata: No Horns Barred
arr. for Trombone and Piano (2017)
composed February - April 2017

Composed by Quinn Mason

In three movements:
I. Restrained
II. Relaxed: Canzonetta
III. Unleashed
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Version for trombone and piano premiered February 3, 2019
Will Lang, trombone; Anne Rainwater, piano
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14 minutes
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This sonata was originally composed for horn and piano for my good friend David Cooper, now principal horn of the Chicago Symphony, as a parting gift when he became principal of the Berlin Philharmonic in 2017. Dave is a good friend of mine and I sought to capture his virtuosic musicianship in this piece. It was arranged for trombone on request for another virtuoso player and friend of mine, Will Lang.

The first movement, Restrained, is laid back, cool and doesn't take itself too serious. It wants to burst out with energy but holds itself back multiple times. The second movement is a canzonetta, or a soft song with a bluesy feel to it. The general mood is relaxed, hence the name of this movement. Finally, the beast is let out of the cage in the last movement, Unleashed. Here, the virtuosity of the player and the pianist is on full display and it is truly no holds barred.