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Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben (translated into English as "A Hero's Life" or "A Heroic Life") is one of the most exciting works in the orchestral literature. Strauss musical self-portrait depicts confidence, unrest, the battle of life, love and serenity. The battle scene, in particular, makes ample use of the trombones and the piece provides some of the most important orchestral audition excerpts for bass trombone.
This first excerpt is from the beginning of the battle scene (rehearsal number 51). The bass trombone lays out the first statement of the "hero" in response to his adversary (the first E flat trumpet). The tempo indication is in two parts, "Festes Zeitmass" which roughly means "fixed tempo" (we can interpret this as "steady speed") and "sehr lebhaft" or "very lively." The whole battle scene is at this tempo - steady, relentless, lively.
The fortissimo marking tells the player that this passage is important, and indeed, the bass trombonist is the dominant voice (along with the 6th and 8th horns) in this thematic material. Be sure to breathe early in the first whole rest - you will need all the air you can take in for the passage which begins on the low E flat. Don't hit the low E flat too hard; even though it has an accent, you are coming in in the middle of a line which has been set up by the horns. Take a look at the score so you are absolutely sure of the context of every note you play.
It is essential to hold the long, tied A natural at rehearsal number 52 on one breath. Many players break up this hold in order to make it through the passage, but Strauss gives no fewer than FOUR warnings aginst this: first, he writes "fortissimo," second, he writes "aushalten!!" ("hold up!!"), third he writes "senza dim." ("without dimuendo") and he has a tie on the last bar over to the following bar of rest. Everything indicates it is important to keep this note well held. When you see the orchestra score, you will realize why: most of the rest of the orchestra has a dimuendo at the end of your long note, and you must hold up the "hero" in the face of others disappearing. In order to make it, consider a quick, "sneak" breath in the bar before 52 and as soon as you articulate the long A natural, back off just slightly to about forte - not so much as it is very perceptible to the listener, but you will appreciate the conservation of even a little air to get you through the note.
Two bars before rehearsal number 56 is the first of several dotted eighth/sixteenth note passages in the piece. They must be extremely rhythmic - resist any temptation to play them lazily or like they are a form of triplet. I find that if I treat the passage as if the eighth notes were double dotted, they will come out correctly.
Be sure to make a dramatic, subito piano at rehearsal number 58, followed by a huge crescendo over one bar to conclude the excerpt.
Power, drive, confidence. But don't over do it. You are part of a very thick and involved orchestral texture. If you play like it's a bass trombone concerto, you'll ruin it. You'll certainly draw attention to yourself, but it's not the kind of attention you'll want! Context, context, context.
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