Cavatine

Saint-Saëns, arr. Coy

Trombone and Band

Cherry Classics has published my orchestration of the Saint-Saëns: Cavatine for wind ensemble. The Cavatine is one of the only pieces for solo trombone written by a major Romantic era composer, and it is correspondingly popular. However, the lack of a large ensemble orchestration has limited the environments in which it can be played.

In contrast, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Concerto was originally scored for wind ensemble, and trombonists who wish to play with a large ensemble often choose it by default. With this new publication, finally both major trombone solos from this time period are available for performance with wind ensemble.

My orchestration calls for two flutes, one oboe, three clarinets plus bass clarinet, one bassoon, alto tenor and bari saxes, two horns, two trumpets, two trombones, euphonium, tuba, timpani, and one percussionist. The included solo part is identical to Saint-Saëns’s original and can be played with either the piano or the orchestrated accompaniment.

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Ben Coy is the principal trombonist of the Valley Symphony Orchestra in McAllen, TX. He also regularly performs with the McAllen Wind Ensemble and various trombone ensembles including the RGV Trombone Society and Rock Slide RGV.