Ken Shifrin: The Alto Trombone in the Orchestra: 1800-2000

Coda: The Orchestral Alto Trombone in the Twentieth Century

Generally speaking, after Brahms's Fourth Symphony the alto trombone seems to have disappeared rapidly from view. It would still see service in the Church in the Posaunenchor or as a Kirchenchorzugposaune, but as far as the symphony orchestra was concerned, by 1914 Cecil Forsyth would declare the alto trombone 'obsolete', placing it in the same category as the serpent, tenoroon and Zink.1 Yet only a year earlier Schoenberg had included an alto trombone part in the première of his massive tone-poem Gurrelieder,2 as well as in Pelleas und Melisande which had received performances in Vienna3 and Berlin4 in 1905 and 1907 respectively. Around the same time, Mahler had suggested the alto trombone be used in passages of his Sixth and Seventh Symphonies, and in 1911 Bartók employed no fewer than four altos in the stage band for his opera Bluebeard's Castle5 (Ex. C.13). Most likely influenced by Schoenberg, Alban Berg6 also called for an alto trombone in his Fünf Orchesterlieder nach Ansichtskartentexten von Peter Altenberg (completed in 1912) in the original 1914 version of Drei Orchesterstücke (Ex. C.1, C.3) and in his 1925 opera Wozzeck (Ex. C.5).

The manner in which these composers employed the alto, however, was a clear departure from the way it had been used in the past. Berg, for example, used the instrument not so much for its tone colour but, taking up where Berlioz left off, as a means of extending the trombone section's upper range. The statement by the former Universal Edition editor H. E. Apostel that appears in the score of the 1929 version of Drei Orchesterstücke (Ex. C.2, C.4), reveals that for Berg the alto was merely one of two options in this regard:

Die 1. Posaune war ursprünglich im Alt-Schlüssel notiert. Aus technischen Gründen und mit Einverständnis des Autors wurde die 1. Posaunenstimme nachträglich in den Tenorschlüssel transponiert. Die mitunter exorbitante Höhenlage erfordert daher die Hinzuziehung einer Alt-Posaune oder einer Trompete in tief Es.7

Moreover, in Berg's Wozzeck (Ex. C.5), although the autograph8 and the Universal Edition score9 specify that the first trombone is to be played on an alto, most of the part is better suited to the tenor; indeed the composer has written some notes that are too low to be played on the alto.10 Nonetheless, this appears to be the last time in the standard orchestral repertoire that the alto instrument is specifically indicated. Oddly, there is no indication on the trombone part itself ('1. Posaune') that an alto is required.

Lulu, composed more than a decade later, includes similar upper-range parts for the first trombone, yet significantly the autograph does not specify an alto trombone.11 Notwithstanding this, the instrument is frequently used by modern performers in at least the two passages shown in Ex. C.6.

As in Wozzeck, Berg combines both extremities of the trombone range within the same passage, thus technically precluding the use of the alto.12 Unlike in Wozzeck, however, the highest sections of Lulu are either doubled by the trumpets or cued into their parts 'falls für 1. Posaune unspielbar',13 because 'die 1. Posaune die Höhe nicht hat'14 (see Examples C.5 and C.6). Paradoxically, in the Altenberg Lieder (op. 4), which do not ascend as high as Lulu, Berg did specify an alto trombone, although there are discrepancies between the autograph score and the Universal Edition publication regarding its usage. According to Dr Regina Busch of the Alban Berg Institute, Berg specifies four trombones, ATTB, in the general Besetzungsliste of the autograph.15 The Universal Edition score it is simply '4 Posaunen'. Moreover, the alto trombone in the published score is indicated on only two occasions: in Lied II (bars 6-7 and presumably 9, as shown in Ex. C.7) and in Lied IV (at bar 12, ending at bar 22, in Ex. C.8). According to Dr Busch, however, Berg calls for the alto trombone in all movements on the autograph score.

In the fifth Lied of the UE edition (Ex. C.9), the F and Ab in the first trombone part of bar 24 are bracketed, meaning that they can be omitted. As these notes are impossible (i.e. too low) to play on an alto, this seems to imply that the alto trombone, though not specified for this movement, was nevertheless intended. The autograph is equally ambiguous.16 Designating the first trombone 'Alt (Tenor)' in the fifth Lied, Berg brackets the F and Ab in bar 24 and thus seems to suggest that if an alto is used rather than a tenor, the first two notes should be omitted. Yet a trombonist would hardly choose to perform this passage on an alto as it ascends only to the note e and is far more practical for a tenor trombone.17 Indeed, the same can be said for all but five bars of the entire piece, including passages in the second and fourth movements. Since much of the trombone part is either muted or in a nearly inaudible pianissimo, it seems unlikely that Berg was utilising the instrument for the sake of its tone colour. Berg's curious scoring for the alto in this, his earliest work for large orchestra, suggests perhaps that he was uncertain whether a trombonist could be asked to double on the alto and tenor during the same work.18 Moreover, according to Kunitz:

Ganz allgemein ist zu beachten, daß heute kein Spieler mehr ausschließlich auf die Alt-posaune spezialisiert ist. Die Altposaune wird vielmehr nur im Bedarfsfälle von den Tenorposaunisten übernommen, wobei sich diese jedesmal auf die kürzeren Positionsabstände der Altposaune umstellen müssen. Welche technischen Ansprüche hierbei an die Posaunisten gestellt werden, zeigt sinngemäß die Tatsache, daß nur sehr selten ein Spieler zwischen der Violine und der Bratsche alterniert.19

Kunitz's opinion notwithstanding, the statement by Del Mar in regard to the first trombone part of the Drei Orchestertücke that 'the player... will use either the alto or tenor according to range'20 is equally applicable to other works by Berg.

One might regard with surprise Dr Mark Hartman's contention that 'there is no indication in the score'21 of Mahler's Seventh Symphony of the use of an alto trombone, since Mahler specifically wrote in the autograph score that a four-bar 'sehr weich geblasen'22 passage in the first movement could be played 'eventuell auf Alt Posaune'.23 In the present author's opinion, this suggestion was thought by the composer to facilitate soft, delicately legato playing in the upper register24 (see Ex. C.10).

The following passage, occurring at bar 146 in the last movement of Mahler's Sixth Symphony, includes the rather curious instruction 'auf Alt-Posaune zu blasen',25 presumably to facilitate reaching the a' in pianissimo, although Mahler required higher notes from the tenor trombone in this and earlier symphonies. Moreover, since the trombone part is played in octaves with the first trumpet, both con sordino, one does not feel the composer was using the alto in order to exploit its unique timbre (Ex. C.11).

A number of professional trombonists oppose using the alto as an upper-register aid. Glen Dodson, former Principal Trombonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, is one. Dr Hartman reported that Dodson:

believes that trombonists many times use it because it makes notes in the high register easier. Some trombonists have difficulty, and they resort to the alto trombone. He maintains that this is not a good reason for the use of the alto trombone.26

Schoenberg, on the other hand, used the alto trombone primarily to add to the panoply of orchestral tone colours. Yet the powerful dynamics that he frequently demanded of the alto trombone within a large orchestral context – a function for which the instrument was not designed – often leads to a forced shrillness, resulting in a distortion and loss of its unique timbre (Ex. C.12, C.13, C.14).27 Similarly, one must question Bartók's call for four alto trombones in Bluebeard's Castle, not only in a register but in a dynamic more suited to tenor trombones,28 as seen in Ex. C.15.

The slide technique and the instinctive familiarity with alternate positions that Schoenberg requires – unlike anything previously written for the alto29 – calls for a virtuoso command of the instrument. Given the disuse into which the alto had fallen,30 one wonders whether first trombonists originally performed these parts entirely on an alto, or whether the instrument was reserved for the occasional high note.31

However, the following passage from Gurrelieder (Ex. C.16) could not be played on a tenor trombone, as Schoenberg clearly realised, because a glissando between eb' and a is only possible on the Eb instrument. Schoenberg explains in the score:

Glissando der Posaunen wird folgendermassen ausgeführt: das Es wird als Oktav des 'geschlossenen Zuges' mit den Lippen fixiert und dann das Rohr ausgezogen respektive wieder zusammengeschoben.32

In Pelleas und Melisande (composed 1902-1903) Schoenberg used the alto rather curiously, rarely assigning it passages in the upper register, its distinct tone colour further obscured by frequent doublings. Robin Gregory states that Schoenberg used the alto trombone in Pelleas und Melisande 'as if uncertain of its capabilities... It is not clear why it is used'33 (Ex. C.17).

Thanks to the creative use of the instrument in chamber works, such as Stravinsky's Threni (1957-58) and The Flood (1961-62), Benjamin Britten's Burning Fiery Furnace34 (1966) especially and to the growing appeal of the eighteenth century solo repertoire (not to mention orchestral doubling fees), the alto trombone has experienced a resurgence of interest on both sides of the Atlantic. The past decade or so has witnessed increasing use of the alto in those orchestral works which are perceived to have been written for it.35

Modern Performance Practice

Eric Carlsen, Philadelphia Orchestra:

I like the alto very much in a small orchestra or choral setting. In a good 95+ piece orchestra, though, the sound is out of place.36

One of the factors most often cited by orchestral trombonists as a consideration in their choice of alto trombone is how well it blends with the rest of the section. Since the abandonment of the alto, and especially since the adoption of similar large-bore tenor trombones on the first and second parts, the concept of good section blend has come to mean matching sounds that produce a single, homogeneous, dark tone-colour, the complete antithesis of its original meaning, i.e. a balance among the three distinct trombone timbres of alto, tenor and bass, 'bringing forth full harmony'.37 Thus when today's player speaks of an alto trombone that 'blends well with the section', one might consider this a contradiction in terms.

The modern concept of orchestral alto trombone sound, as described by Ralph Sauer, Principal Trombonist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is fairly typical:

The sound I try to produce is closer to the small bore tenor trombone than that which was probably traditional for the alto of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.38

Amongst his reasons is the fact that 'the second and bass trombones are larger than their earlier counterparts'.39 In order to produce this sound – a sound that matches the tenor and bass of the section – players look for large-bore alto trombones. According to Miles Anderson, 'the alto trombones generally used today are larger than my tenor trombone in bore size. I was never interested in a 0.500" bore alto. That's a tenor in Eb'.40 Thus John Kitzman, Principal Trombonist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, quite logically decides that 'on piece[s] for which many would use an alto, I choose to use a Bach 36B [small bore] tenor trombone',41 for, as Larry Campbell of the Baton Rouge Symphony contends, today 'a small-bore tenor with a small mouthpiece almost equals an alto'.42

One can only agree with Kunitz that:

da die klassischen Werke heute stets mit stärkerer Streicherbesetzung als zu ihrer Zeit aufgeführt werden... es ist auch an dieser Stelle darauf hinzuweisen, dass die Altposaune heute weiter mensuiert sein muss als in der vorklassischen und klassischen Zeit.43

However, one wonders if he imagined the alto would assume the overall dimensions which it has today,44 with its trend towards ever greater proportions. Even when a player prefers a smaller sound for the alto, the choice may not be his, for the final decision is often left with the conductor. According to Richard Meyers, 'most of the conductors that I have played for in thirty-five years seem to prefer the sound of the tenor over the alto'.45 Kevin Price, Principal Trombonist of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, relates how a conductor once requested he play tenor trombone rather than the authentically appropriate alto for Mendelssohn's Elijah.46 On one occasion the author was requested by Sir Simon Rattle to use a small-bore tenor trombone rather than an alto for Brahms's Schicksalslied. Instead, unbeknown to Sir Simon, I used the new prototype Yamaha large-bore alto and Sir Simon praised my 'small-bore tenor sound'.

The requirement that the alto should 'fit in' with the rest of the section is nowhere more evident than in the common practice of employing smaller-bore tenor and bass trombones in conjunction with the alto,47 due to the fact that 'the second and bass trombones are larger than their earlier counterparts', but losing sight of the fact that today's alto is also larger than its predecessors. The result can be a further minimizing and blurring of the alto trombone's timbral distinctiveness. The following statement by Schweitzer demonstrates that the proportional relationship maintained between the individual trombones is analogous to the size of the choirs which they traditionally accompany:

Zu bemerken ist, das die damaligen Posaunen, weil sie enger mensuriert waren, nicht so stark, dafür aber heller klangen als die unsrigen da unsere Chöre auch bedeutend stärker sind als die Bachschen, so ist die Proportion dennach gewahrt.48

We appear to be at a pivotal juncture in the alto trombone's history. On the one hand, the use of the alto is more widespread than at any time previously, as composers such as Britten have successfully maintained the essence of its traditional character while at the same time introducing it to contemporary innovations. On the other hand, instrument manufacturers, responding to the demands of players and conductors, are producing alto trombones with increasingly larger dimensions and are thus departing significantly from the historical concept of alto trombone sound. In this respect, it seems we have come full circle. At one time, non-alto-playing trombonists frequently used a small-bore tenor trombone to facilitate the upper register demands of works of earlier composers and to approximate the sound of the alto. Now players appear to be turning to large-bore alto trombones that sound like small-bore tenors and using them as an upper-register aid in pieces by contemporary composers. Moreover, the intrinsic beauty of the alto trombone sound is frequently forfeited when the instrument is played as part of large orchestrations, in immense concert halls and at the dynamic levels demanded by some twentieth-century composers. Having nearly slipped into obsolescence through disuse, it would indeed be ironic if the resurgence of interest enjoyed by the alto trombone today led to its eventual extinction as a perceptibly distinct timbral entity.

  1. Cecil Forsyth, Orchestration, London, 1914, pp. 4-5, 89, 137. However, on p. 135 he appears to make some concession, declaring the instrument merely 'practically obsolete'. Return to Article
  2. Composed between 1900 and 1901, Gurrelieder was not orchestrated until the years 1910-11. Robin Gregory, The Trombone: The Instrument and its Music, London, 1973, p. 9. Return to Article
  3. The Vienna Vereinigung Schaffender Tonkünstler put on the first performance under the direction of the composer: O. W. Neighbour, 'Schoenberg' in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, London, 1980, vol. 16, p. 703. Return to Article
  4. Charles Rosen, Schoenberg, London, 1976, p. 12. Return to Article
  5. Forsyth's statement would have pre-dated the 1918 première in Budapest, as well as the first issue of the full printed score in 1925 by Universal Edition. Return to Article
  6. The 'Altenberglieder' were not published until 1966; movements I and II of Drei Orchesterstücke were first performed in 1923; and Berg's revised version was published in 1929 by Universal Edition (the original version has never been published) with the first full performance taking place the following year. Return to Article
  7. 'The first trombone part was originally written in alto clef. Due to technical reasons, and with the permission of the composer, the first trombone part has been subsequently transposed into tenor clef. The occasional extreme upper register therefore necessitates the employment of either an alto trombone or an Eb bass trumpet.' H. E. Apostel, Alban Berg: Drei Stücke, Op. 6, Neufassung von 1929, Universal Edition, Vienna, 1954. Return to Article
  8. Claudia Patsch, Copyright Editor, Universal Edition (Vienna), personal interview 20.11.96. Return to Article
  9. Alban Berg, Wozzeck, Oper in 3 Akten (composed 1926), revised by H. E. Apostel according to the final corrections and amendments left by the composer, Universal Edition, Vienna, 1955, p. viii. Return to Article
  10. Examples C.5 and C.6 show how these passage can be executed by having the second trombone cover for the alto trombone. Return to Article
  11. Although Berg's untimely death from an insect bite in 1935 prevented him from completing the orchestration, he was clearly the author of these upper register sections, which occur in the second act. Not only did Berg have 'a complete and very carefully worked out preliminary score for Lulu' (Willi Reich, 'Alban Berg's Lulu', Musical Quarterly 12 (October 1936), p. 401n: trans. M.D. Herter Norton) but, according to George Perle, he had finished the instrumentation through the first 286 bars of Act III scene i (George Perle, 'Berg' in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, vol. ii, p. 537); indeed, the highest passages also occur in Berg's 1934 Lulu Suite. Return to Article
  12. See Examples C.5 and C.6. Return to Article
  13. 'in case it is unplayable by the first trombone', autograph score. Return to Article
  14. 'the first trombone cannot play that high', ibid. See Examples C.2, C.3. Return to Article
  15. Regina Busch, personal correspondence with the author, 27.8.96. Return to Article
  16. The original first trombone part (erste Abschriftstimme) is identical to the autograph in this respect. Return to Article
  17. Similarly, Berg brackets an E in Drei Stücke. However, unlike the Altenberglieder, the note occurs in a context in which the trombonist may prefer to use the alto. In the UE publication of Wozzeck, as mentioned above, notes that are unplayable on the alto trombone are left unbracketed. Return to Article
  18. See n. 21 in Introduction to Part II, p. 92. In Pfitzner's 1917 opera Palestrina the following solo for tenor trombone appears.
  19. B. Schott's Söhne: If the player finds the highest notes too difficult, it is suggested that the first horn play these notes instead. If alto 'doublers' were commonplace, a more obvious solution would surely have been to score the solo for the alto trombone. Return to Article
  20. 'Quite generally one has to realize that today no player is exclusively specialising in the alto trombone any more. The alto trombone is, rather, taken over when the need arises by tenor trombonists, at which time they always have to readjust to the alto trombone's shorter distance between positions. The technical demands which are thus put on the trombonists are fittingly highlighted by the fact that only rarely has a player to alternate between violin and viola.' Hans Kunitz, Die Instrumentation: ein Handbuch-und-Lehrbuch, 3rd edition, Leipzig, 1970, p. 794. Translation H. Braunlich. Return to Article
  21. Norman Del Mar, Anatomy of the Orchestra, London, 1981, pp. 298-99. Return to Article
  22. Mark Hartman, 'The Use of the Alto Trombone in Symphonic and Operatic Orchestral Literature', DMA thesis, Arizona State University, 1985, p. 48. Return to Article
  23. 'very softly played'. Mahler, Seventh Symphony, facsimile edition, Book II, Rosbeek Publications, 1995, p. 42. Return to Article
  24. 'perhaps on the alto trombone'. Ibid. Return to Article
  25. Today it is unlikely that a professional trombonist would consider this a useful suggestion. Return to Article
  26. 'to be played on the alto trombone'. These instructions appear in the autograph score (Otto Biba, Director of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien Archives, personal correspondence with the author, 23.9.96). Return to Article
  27. Mark Hartman, op. cit., p. 93. Return to Article
  28. According to Flandrin, 'notre époque, en son esprit d'art nouveau, a [...] introducé l'abus du trombone;... beaucoup de compositeurs, comptant en obtenir des effects grandioses, n'en tirent que de bruit... souvent, le trombone perd ses effects de grandeur et de son coloris... car la prédominance de la rudesse et de la vulgarité à l'orchestre, et devient bientôt fatigante pour les auditeurs' ('Our age, with its spirit of art nouveau, has introduced the abuse of the trombone... many composers, counting on obtaining grandiose effects, produce only noise... often, the trombone loses its effective grandeur and its colour... because of the predominance of its roughness and vulgarity in the orchestra, it soon becomes fatiguing for the audience.' Flandrin, op. cit., p. 1659). Over a century earlier, John Marsh expressed similar sentiments about trombone playing in general. See John Marsh, Hints to Young Composers of Instrumental Music, London, ca. 1807; reprinted in the Galpin Society Journal 18 (1965), pp. 57-71 and 'Introduction to Part I', n. 23. Return to Article
  29. Dr Edward Higginbottom's suggestion that Bartók 'may have had the alto's shrillness in mind' (personal correspondence 24.11.98) is highly unlikely given that the four alto trombones are reserved for the warmest, most luxuriant moment of the opera, when Bluebeard's immense wealth is portrayed (the opening of the fifth door). Harshness hardly seems likely to have been the sound Bartók would have been deliberately seeking for this scene. Moreover, it is the alto's upper register which is associated with shrillness. In the register and dynamic in which the alto trombones are written, there would be a tendency to blat – also unsuitable. Bartók's scoring remains open to speculation, as it appears that the altos were used for practical rather than musical reasons. Return to Article
  30. Schoenberg wrote alto trombone parts that were more technically demanding than the colla voce passages of Bach and Mozart, and indeed far more so than any alto trombone concerto or obbligato. The same can also be said of Berg's Wozzeck. Return to Article
  31. As late as 1958 Stravinsky lamented the dearth of alto trombonists: 'I wish there were more good players... for the alto trombone'. Igor Stravinsky and Robert Craft, Conversations with Igor Stravinsky, London, 1958, p. 30. Return to Article
  32. In 1925 the Encyclopédie de la Musique et Dictionnaire du Conservatoire stated that 'passé l'ut aigu, le trombone ténor ne s'écrit plus sans danger' ('it is risky to write above c'' for the tenor trombone'. Flandrin, op. cit., p. 1654, n. 12. Return to Article
  33. 'The trombone glissando is to be executed in the following manner. The eb' as the fundamental [of the octave] is set with the embouchure in first position and the slide is extended and then retracted anew, respectively.' Arnold Schoenberg, Gurrelieder, Universal Edition, Vienna, 1920. Return to Article
  34. Gregory, op. cit., pp. 109-110. Return to Article
  35. According to Sluchin, 'Britten presents an example of alto trombone use that culminates in the many functions of the instrument over the past three centuries. The alto trombone doubles vocal lines much as it did in the late eighteenth century... [and] is used soloistically and as a unique colour in the heterogeneous orchestra much like the late nineteenth and twentieth-century composers' music.' (Benny Sluchin, 'The Alto Trombone in the Twentieth Century Orchestra', Brass Bulletin 75 (18 November 1994), pp. 56-7). Britten also introduces timbral innovations such as muted forte passages, pedal tones and sweeping, two-octave 'against the grain' glissandi. In his 1967 work for orchestra and chorus, The Building of the House, the ATB trombones are employed in the traditional Viennese fashion as colla voce accompaniment for the voices. Apparently for marketing purposes, Britten indicated that not only could the first trombone part be played on a tenor trombone, but that the work could be performed without a trombone section. (Benjamin Britten, The Building of the House, op. 79, Overture with or without Chorus, London, Faber Music, 1968.) Other composers who have written for the alto in chamber works include Boulez (Domaine, 1968), H.J. von Bose (Three Songs, 1978), E. Nunes (Musik der Frühe, 1980) and G. Amy (La Variation Ajoutée, 1984). All cited in Sluchin, op. cit., p. 57. Since around 1979 there has been a plethora of concertos written for alto trombone including Robert Hall Lewis's Monophony VIII (Doblinger, 1979), Cesar Bresgen's Konzert für Altposaune und Orchester (Breitkopf & Härtel, 1980), and Soli(solo)Loquy for Alto and Tenor Trombone with Piano by David Uber (Virgo Music, 1987). Return to Article
  36. Principal Trombonist Jay Friedman of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, for example, relates how he now uses the alto far more extensively than he did ten years ago: 'These days I like to use the alto on everything that was written for it'. He has had the Orchestra purchase a set of Glassl alto, tenor and bass trombones for the section. Personal interview, 9.9.96. Return to Article
  37. Cited in David Mathie's, The Alto Trombone: Current Use and Performance Trends, University of Georgia, DMA, 1993, p. 166. Return to Article
  38. 'Da dieses Instrument, wie die 3 Singstimmen Alt, Tenor, und Bass gebraucht wird, so ist es geeignet, eine ganz vollstimmige Harmonie hervorzubringen, die um so bestimmtere Effecte erzeugt…': Joseph Fröhlich, Vollständige Theoretische-Pracktische Musikschule, vol. iii, 'Von der Posaune', Bonn, 1811, p. 27. ('Because this instrument is used in three voices, alto, tenor and bass, it is suitable for bringing forth full harmony, which produces such a definite effect..'). Translation Guion, The Trombone, op. cit., p. 95. Return to Article
  39. Raph Sauer, 'The Alto Trombone in the Symphony Orchestra', ITA Journal 7 (July 1984), p. 41. Return to Article
  40. Ibid., p. 42. Return to Article
  41. Cited in Mathie, op. cit., p. 166. Return to Article
  42. Cited in Hartman, op. cit., p. 102. Return to Article
  43. Cited in Mathie, op. cit., p. 166. Return to Article
  44. 'since today classical works are always performed with a stronger complement of strings than during the period of their origin... one must here also point out that today the alto trombone has to be wider than during the pre-classical and classical eras'. Kunitz, op. cit., pp. 619, 781. Trans. H. Braunlich. Return to Article
  45. Kunitz' estimate of a 13.24mm alto trombone bore 'als Norm' (Kunitz, op. cit., p. 781) appears to be a misprint, as this is nearly the size of some professional large-bore trombones used today. Indeed, Yamaha's 'standard trombone', a medium-bore tenor, measures 12.77mm. Source: Yamaha Trombone Specifications Table 1996. Return to Article
  46. Cited in Hartman, op. cit., p. 103. Return to Article
  47. Kevin Price, personal correspondence with the author, 15.11.94. Return to Article
  48. Among those who advocate this practice are Principal Trombonists Ralph Sauer, Ron Barron, Dennis Smith (Toledo Symphony Orchestra), Bernard Schneider (formerly St Louis Symphony Orchestra), James Olin Jr. (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) and Milt Stevens (National Symphony Orchestra, Washington, DC – all cited in Hartman, op. cit., pp. 106, 86, 109, 107, 104, 111 respectively); Eric Crees (personal correspondence, 30.11.94); M. Wilson (Ulster Symphony Orchestra, personal correspondence, 12.11.94); Chris Mowat (BBC Symphony Orchestra, personal correspondence, 1.12.94); Brian Raby (formerly Welsh National Opera, personal correspondence, 22.11.94); Lance Green (Royal Scottish National Orchestra, personal correspondence, 15.12.94); Chris Houlding (English Northern Philharmonia, personal correspondence, 10.11.94); while Alan Pash (Orchestra of Scottish Opera, personal correspondence, 20.12.94); Dudley Bright (Philharmonia Orchestra, personal correspondence, 20.1.95); Warwick Tyrell (London Philharmonic, personal correspondence, 15.1.95) and Mike Hext (Royal Opera, Covent Garden, personal correspondence, 19.1.95) suggest small equipment be employed by the tenor and bass trombonist in earlier works such as those by Mozart. On the other hand, Jay Friedman and Mike Mulcahey (both Chicago Symphony Orchestra, personal interview, 9.9.96); William Gibson (formerly Boston Symphony Orchestra), Dave Fetter (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) and Robert Boyd (formerly Cleveland Symphony Orchestra – all cited in Hartman, ibid., pp. 99, 94, 89 respectively) and Peter Oram (BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, personal correspondence, 31.1.95) are among those who disagree with this practice. Return to Article
  49. 'It should be noted that the trombones of that time, due to their narrower dimensions, were not so strong as today's and had a brighter sound; since our choirs are decidedly stronger than those in Bach's time, the proportional relationship is maintained.' Albert Schweitzer, Johann Sebastian Bach, Leipzig, 1908, p. 796. Return to Article

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