NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Tenor trombone

A lip-reed aerophone with a predominantly cylindrical bore, the trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. The most frequently encountered trombones are the tenor and bass counterparts of the trumpet. The trombone is usually characterised by a telescopic slide with which the player varies the length of the tube. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... Italian (Italian: italiano[?]) is a Romance language spoken by about 70 million people primarily in Italy. ... German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ... This article is about the international language known as Spanish. ... Swedish ( svenska?) is a North Germanic language (also called Scandinavian languages) spoken predominantly in Sweden and in part of Finland, especially along the coast and on the Ã…land islands, by more than nine million people. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (900x467, 71 KB)Conn 88H tenor trombone in Bâ™/F File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... An aerophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes, and without the vibration of the instrument itself adding considerably to the sound. ... A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as the player blows into a tubular resonator. ... A wind instrument is a member of a family of musical instruments. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (902x546, 2 KB) Range of a tenor/bass trombone, self made with Sibelius3 & The Gimp File links The following pages link to this file: Trombone ... A trombonist (or tromboner) is a musician who plays the trombone. ... This is a list of notable jazz trombonists: (see also: classical trombonists) Back to jazz, trombone, or trombonists. ... A musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as the player blows into a tubular resonator. ...

The word trombone derives from Italian tromba (trumpet) - and -one (a suffix meaning large). Thus, quite literally, a trombone is a "large trumpet". The trombone is often referred to by its name in other languages, e.g. Posaune, trombón, Pasuuna, Puzon, Basun.

Construction

The trombone consists of a cylindrical tube bent into an elongated "S" shape in a complex series of tapers, the smallest being at the mouthpiece receiver, and the largest being at the throat of the bell, before the flare for the bell begins. (Careful design of these tapers is crucial to the intonation of the instrument.) As with other brass instruments, sound is produced by blowing air through closed lips producing a vibration that creates a standing wave in the instrument. A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as the player blows into a tubular resonator. ...

The detachable cup-shaped mouthpiece, closely related to that of the trumpet, is inserted into the mouthpiece receiver in the slide section, which consists of a leadpipe, inner and outer slide tubes, and bracing, known as inner and outer slide stays. While the stays are soldered nowadays, sackbuts were made with loose, unsoldered stays, which remained the pattern for German trombones until the mid-20th century. The leadpipe contains the venturi, which are a small constriction of the air column, adding a certain amount of resistance and to a great extent dictating the tone of the instrument; leadpipes may be soldered in permanently or interchangeable, depending on the maker. On wind instruments the mouthpiece is that part of the instrument which is placed in, or next to, the players mouth. ... The trumpet is the highest brass instrument in register, above the tuba, euphonium, trombone, sousaphone, and french horn. ... The Sackbut (var. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

The telescopic slide, the defining feature of the trombone (c.f. valve trombone below) allows the player to extend the length of the air column, lowering the pitch. In order to prevent friction from slowing the action of the slide, additional sleeves were developed during the Renaissance and these stockings were soldered onto the ends of the inner slide tubes. Nowadays, the stockings are incorporated into the manufacturing process of the inner slide tubes and represent a fractional widening of the tube to accommodate the necessary method of alleviating friction. This part of the slide is of necessity lubricated on a frequent basis. Additional tubing connects the slide to the bell of the instrument through a neckpipe, and bell or back bow (U-bend). The joint connecting the slide and bell sections is furnished with a ferrule to secure the connection of the two parts of the instrument, though older models from the early 20th century and before were usually equipped with friction joints and no ancillary mechanism to tighten the joint. By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance *French Renaissance *German Renaissance *English Renaissance The Renaissance, also known as Il Rinascimento (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

The adjustment of intonation is most often accomplished with a tuning slide that is a short slide between the neckpipe and the bell incorporating the bell bow (U-bend); this device was designed by the French maker François Riedlocker during the early nineteenth century and applied to French and British designs and later in the century to German and American models, though German trombones were built without tuning slides well into the 20th century.

As with the trumpet, the trombone is considered a cylindrical bore instrument since it has sections of tubing, principally in the slide section, that are of continuous diameter. This is in contrast to conical bore instruments like the cornet, euphonium, and tuba, whose only cylindrical tubing is in the valve section. Tenor trombones typically have a bore of 0.450" (small bore) to 0.547" (large or orchestral bore) after the leadpipe and through the slide. The bore expands through the neck pipe and backbore to the bell which is typically between 7" and 8½". A number of common variations on trombone construction are noted below. The trumpet is the highest brass instrument in register, above the tuba, euphonium, trombone, sousaphone, and french horn. ... The cornet is a brass instrument that closely resembles the trumpet. ... A typical 4-valved bell-upright euphonium The euphonium is a valved brass instrument, the tenor member of the tuba family. ... The tuba is the largest of the low-brass instruments and is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the ophicleide. ...

History

Sackbut

Until the early 18th century, the trombone was called the sackbut in English, a word with various different spellings ranging from sackbut to shagbolt and derived from the Spanish sacabuche or French sacqueboute. This was not a distinct instrument from the trombone, but rather a different name used for an earlier form. Other countries used the same name throughout the instrument's history, viz. Italian trombone and German Posaune. The sackbut was built in slightly smaller dimensions than modern trombones, and had a bell that was more conical and less flared. Today, sackbut is generally used to refer to the earlier form of the instrument, commonly used in early music ensembles. Sackbuts were (and still are) made in every size from alto to contrabass, though then as now the contrabass is very rare. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (252x1014, 10 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (252x1014, 10 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... The Sackbut (var. ...

Alto, tenor and bass sackbuts

Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Renaissance & Baroque periods

Used in great numbers in 16th century Venice under Andrea Gabrieli and more especially his nephew Giovanni Gabrieli and later Heinrich Schütz in Germany in their canzonas, sonatas and ecclesiastical works, while the trombone was used continuously by the Church and with some degree of regularity from the time of Claudio Monteverdi onwards as an addition to the opera house orchestra and to represent the supernatural or the funerary, it remained rather rare in the concert hall until the 19th century. During the Baroque period, Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel used the trombone on few occasions; Bach used it in combination with the cornett to evoke the stile antica in some of his many cantatas and Handel in the Dead March from Saul, Samson and Israel in Egypt, all of which were new examples of the oratorio that were popular during the early 18th century. (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Location within Italy Venice (Italian: Venezia), the city of canals, is the capital of the region of Veneto and of the province of Venice, 45Â°26â€² N 12Â°19â€² E, population 271,663 (census estimate 2004-01-01). ... Andrea Gabrieli (c. ... Giovanni Gabrieli (1553–1556? – August 12, 1612) was an Italian composer and organist. ... Heinrich SchÃ¼tz Heinrich SchÃ¼tz (October 9, 1585 â€“ November 6, 1672) was a German composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and is often considered to be one of the most important composers of the 17th century along with Claudio Monteverdi. ... Canzona (also canzone) is a poetic form, and a type of musical composition. ... Sonata (From Latin and Italian sonare, to sound), in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to cantata (Latin cantare, to sing), a piece sung. ... Portrait of Claudio Monteverdi in Venice, 1640, by Bernardo Strozzi Claudio Monteverdi (May 15, 1567 (baptised) – November 29, 1643) was an Italian composer, violinist and singer. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Baroque music is European classical music written during the Baroque era, approximately 1600 to 1750. ... The 1748 Haussmann portrait of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach (21 March 1685 â€“ 28 July 1750)[1] was a German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra and keyboard drew together almost all of the pre-existing strands of the baroque style and brought it to... George Frideric Handel (German Georg Friedrich HÃ¤ndel), (February 23, 1685 â€“ April 14, 1759) was a German Baroque music composer who lived much of his life in England, a leading composer of concerti grossi, operas and oratorios. ... The 1748 Haussmann portrait of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach (21 March 1685 â€“ 28 July 1750)[1] was a German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra and keyboard drew together almost all of the pre-existing strands of the baroque style and brought it to... Cornett The cornett or cornetto is an early wind instrument, dating from the Renaissance period. ... Cantata (Italian for a song or story set to music), a vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement. ... George Frideric Handel (German Georg Friedrich HÃ¤ndel), (February 23, 1685 â€“ April 14, 1759) was a German Baroque music composer who lived much of his life in England, a leading composer of concerti grossi, operas and oratorios. ... Samson is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel. ... An oratorio is a large musical composition for orchestra, vocal soloists and chorus. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

Classical period

The repertoire of trombone solo and chamber literature has its beginnings in Austria in the Classical Era where composers such as Leopold Mozart, Georg Christoph Wagenseil, Johann Albrechtsberger and Johann Ernst Eberlin were featuring the instrument, often in partnership with a voice. Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart used the trombones in a number of their sacred works, including two extended duets with voice from Mozart, the best known being in the Tuba Mirum of his Requiem. The inspiration for many of these works was no doubt the virtuosic playing of Thomas Gschladt who worked in the court orchestra at Salzburg, although when his playing faded, so did the general composing output for the instrument. The trombone retained its traditional associations with the opera house and the Church during the 18th century and was usually employed in the usual alto/tenor/bass trio to support the lower voices of the chorus, though Viennese court orchestra Kapellmeister Johann Joseph Fux rejected an application from a bass trombonist in 1726 and restricted the use of trombones to alto and tenor only, which remained the case almost until the turn of the 19th century in Vienna, after which time a second tenor trombone was added when necessary. The construction of the trombone changed relatively little between the Baroque period and Classical period with the most obvious feature being the slightly more flared bell than was previously the custom. The Classical period in Western music occurred in a large part of the 18th century, and into the early 19th century. ... Johann Georg Leopold Mozart (November 14, 1719 â€“ May 28, 1787) was a composer, music teacher and violinist. ... Georg Christoph Wagenseil (January 29, 1715 - March 1, 1777) was an Austrian composer. ... Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (February 3, 1736 - March 7, 1809) was an Austrian musician who was born at Kloster-Neuburg, near Vienna. ... Johann Ernst Eberlin, (March 27, 1702 – June 19, 1762). ... Franz Joseph Haydn, (March 31 or April 1, 1732 â€“ May 31, 1809) was a leading composer of the Classical period, called the Father of the Symphony and Father of the String Quartet. Although he has come to be popularly known as Franz Joseph Haydn (with many published scores and recordings... W. A. Mozart, 1790 portrait by Johann Georg Edlinger Wolfgang AmadÃ© Mozart (January 27, 1756 â€“ December 5, 1791) is among the most significant and enduringly popular composers of European classical music. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was one of the most significant and influential of all composers of Western classical music. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote the Requiem mass in D minor (K. 626) in 1791. ... Flag of Salzburg Salzburg (population 145,000 in 2003) is a city in western Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg (population 520,000 in 2003). ... An opera house is a building where operas are performed. ... A church building is a building used in Christian worship. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Johann Joseph Fux (1660 – February 13, 1741) was an Austrian composer, music theorist and pedagogue of the late Baroque era. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Baroque music is European classical music written during the Baroque era, approximately 1600 to 1750. ... The Classical period in Western music occurred in a large part of the 18th century, and into the early 19th century. ...

Romantic Period

During the late Classical and Romantic eras, composers from across Europe and beyond wrote for the instrument. The first example of its use in a symphony was in 1807 in a Symphony in E♭ by the Swedish composer Joachim Nikolas Eggert, though the composer usually credited with its introduction into the symphony orchestra was Ludwig van Beethoven in the last movement of his Symphony No. 5 in C minor (1808); he also used the trombones in Symphony No. 6 in F major ("Pastoral") and Symphony No. 9 ("Choral"). The Classical period in Western music occurred in a large part of the 18th century, and into the early 19th century. ... The era of Romantic music is defined as the period of European classical music that runs roughly from the early 1800s to the first decade of the 20th century, as well as music written according to the norms and styles of that period. ... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 kmÂ² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... A symphony is an extended piece of music usually for orchestra and comprising several movements. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ... Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770; died March 26, 1827) was a German composer of classical music, who predominantly lived in Vienna, Austria. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Symphony No. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Symphony No. ... The Symphony No. ...

Leipzig, in particular, became a centre of trombone pedagogy as for the first time in centuries the trombone began to be taught at the new Musikhochschule founded by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Mendelssohn's bass trombonist, Karl Traugott Queisser, was the first in a long line of distinguished professors of trombone at the academy in Leipzig and several composers penned works for him, including Ferdinand David (Mendelssohn's concertmaster), Ernst Sachse and Friedrich August Belcke, whose solo works all remain popular today in Germany. Queisser almost single-handedly helped to re-establish the reputation of the trombone in Germany and began a tradition in trombone-playing that is still practised there today. He championed and popularised Christian Friedrich Sattler's new tenorbass trombone during the 1840s, leading to its widespread use in orchestras throughout Germany and Austria. Sattler's influence on trombone design is not to be underestimated; he introduced a significant widening of the bore (the most important since the Renaissance), the innovations of Schlangenverzierungen (snake decorations), the bell garland and the wide bell flare, all of which are features that are still to be found on German-made trombones today and were widely copied during the 19th century. Map of Germany showing Leipzig Leipzig? [ËˆlaiptsÉªÃ§] (Polish; Sorbian/Lusatian: Lipsk) is the largest city in the federal state (Bundesland) of Saxony in Germany. ... Felix Mendelssohn wrote his first symphony at the young age of fifteen. ... Felix Mendelssohn wrote his first symphony at the young age of fifteen. ... Karl Traugott Queisser (1800-?) was a trombonist in Germany who was an outstanding member of the Gewandhaus Orchestra under Felix Mendelssohn. ... Map of Germany showing Leipzig Leipzig? [ËˆlaiptsÉªÃ§] (Polish; Sorbian/Lusatian: Lipsk) is the largest city in the federal state (Bundesland) of Saxony in Germany. ... Felix Mendelssohn wrote his first symphony at the young age of fifteen. ... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance *French Renaissance *German Renaissance *English Renaissance The Renaissance, also known as Il Rinascimento (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Many composers were directly influenced by Beethoven's use of trombones and the 19th century saw the trombones become fully integrated in the orchestra, particularly by the 1840s, as composers such as Franz Schubert, Franz Berwald, Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Richard Wagner, Hector Berlioz, Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Franz Liszt, Richard Strauss, Anton Bruckner, Gustav Mahler, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexander Borodin, Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, Charles Gounod, César Franck, Claude Debussy, Camille Saint-Saëns and many others included trombones in their operas, symphonies and other orchestral compositions. Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770 – March 26, 1827) was a German composer of Classical music, the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ... Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (January 31, 1797 â€“ November 19, 1828), was an Austrian composer. ... Franz Adolf Berwald (born in Stockholm on July 23, 1796 and died there on April 3, 1868) was a composer. ... Johannes Brahms (May 7, 1833 â€“ April 3, 1897) was a German composer of Romantic music, who predominantly lived in Vienna, Austria. ... Robert Schumann (June 8, 1810 â€“ July 29, 1856) was a German composer and pianist. ... Felix Mendelssohn wrote his first symphony at the young age of fifteen. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 in Leipzig â€“ February 13, 1883 in Venice) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his groundbreaking symphonic-operas (or music dramas). His compositions are notable for their continuous contrapuntal texture, rich harmonies and orchestration, and elaborate... Portrait of Berlioz by Signol, 1832 Louis Hector Berlioz (December 11, 1803 â€“ March 8, 1869) was a French Romantic composer best known for the Symphonie fantastique, first performed in 1830, and for his Grande Messe des morts (Requiem) of 1837, with its tremendous resources that include four antiphonal brass choirs. ... Portrait Gioacchino Antonio Rossini (February 29, 1792 â€” November 13, 1868) was an Italian musical composer who wrote more than 30 operas as well as sacred music and chamber music. ... Giuseppe Verdi, by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 (National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome) Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (October 10, 1813 â€“ January 27, 1901) was an Italian composer of, mainly, operatic music. ... Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (December 22, 1858 â€“ November 29, 1924) is regarded as one of the great operatic composers of the late 19th and early 20th century. ... Franz Liszt (Hungarian: Liszt Ferenc) (October 22, 1811 â€“ July 31, 1886) was a Hungarian virtuoso pianist and composer. ... Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864 â€“ September 8, 1949) was a German composer of the late Romantic era, particularly noted for his tone poems and operas. ... Anton Bruckner Anton Bruckner (September 4, 1824 â€“ October 11, 1896) was an Austrian composer of the Romantic era. ... Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860â€“May 18, 1911) was a Bohemian-Austrian composer and conductor. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ... Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (Russian: , Nikolaj AndreeviÄ Rimskij-Korsakov), also Nikolai, Nicolai, and Rimsky-Korsakoff, (March 18, 1844â€“June 21, 1908) was a Russian composer and teacher of classical music particularly noted for his fine orchestration, which may have been influenced by his synaesthesia. ... Borodins tomb bust at Tikhvin Cemetery Alexander Porfyrevich Borodin (ÐÐ»ÐµÐºÑÐ°ÌÐ½Ð´Ñ€ ÐŸÐ¾Ñ€Ñ„Ð¸ÌÑ€ÑŒÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð‘Ð¾Ñ€Ð¾Ð´Ð¸ÌÐ½) (November 12, 1833 â€“ February 27, 1887) was a Russian composer who made his living as a chemist. ... Bedrich Smetanas statue in Plzen Smetana monument in LitomyÅ¡l BedÅ™ich Smetana listen? (March 2, 1824 LitomyÅ¡l - May 12, 1884 Prague) was a Czech composer, whose best-known composition is the symphonic poem Vltava (The Moldau), second of a cycle of six, MÃ¡ vlast (My Country). ... AntonÃn DvoÅ™Ã¡k AntonÃn Leopold DvoÅ™Ã¡k listen? (September 8, 1841 â€“ May 1, 1904) was a Czech composer of romantic music. ... Charles Gounod Charles FranÃ§ois Gounod (June 17, 1818 â€“ October 18, 1893) was a French composer, best known for his opera Faust. ... CÃ©sar Franck CÃ©sar-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck (December 10, 1822 â€“ November 8, 1890) was a composer and organist. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Charles Camille Saint-SaÃ«ns (IPA: [ÊƒaÊl. ...

The 19th century also saw the erosion of the traditional alto/tenor/bass trombone trio in the orchestra. While the alto/tenor/bass trombone trio had been paired with one or two cornetts during the Renaissance and early Baroque periods, the disappearance of the cornett as a partner and eventual replacement by oboe and clarinet did not fundamentally alter the raison d'être for the trombones, which was to support the alto, tenor and bass voices of the chorus (typically in an ecclesiastical setting), whose harmonic moving lines were more difficult to pick out than the melodic soprano line. The introduction of the trombones into the orchestra, however, allied them more closely with the trumpet and it did not take long for the alto and bass trombones to be replaced by tenor trombones, though the Germans and Austrians held on to the alto trombone and long F or E♭ bass trombone somewhat longer than the French, who came to prefer a section of three tenor trombones until after the Second World War. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cornett The cornett or cornetto is an early wind instrument, dating from the Renaissance period. ... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance *French Renaissance *German Renaissance *English Renaissance The Renaissance, also known as Il Rinascimento (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... Baroque music is European classical music written during the Baroque era, approximately 1600 to 1750. ... Cornett The cornett or cornetto is an early wind instrument, dating from the Renaissance period. ... Modern Oboe The Oboe is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... A bass clarinet, which sounds an octave lower than the more common Bb soprano clarinet. ... Trumpets in the Bible According to Eastons Bible Dictionary, trumpets in the Bible were of a great variety of forms and were made of various materials. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

By the time the trombone gained a regular footing in the orchestra, players of the instrument were no longer usually employed by a cathedral or court orchestra and were therefore expected to provide their own instrument, though while military musicians were provided with instruments by the army and instruments like the long F or E♭ bass trombone remained in use there until approximately the time of the First World War, the orchestral musician understandably took to the instrument with the widest range which could be most easily applied to play any of the three trombone parts usually scored in any given work - the tenor trombone. The appearance of the valve trombone during the mid-19th century did little to alter the make-up of the trombone section in the orchestra and though it remained popular almost entirely to the exclusion of the slide instrument in countries such as Italy and Bohemia, the valve trombone was ousted from orchestras in Germany and France. The valve trombone continued to enjoy an extended period of popularity in Italy and Bohemia and composers such as Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák scored for a section of valve trombones. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bohemia For the place in the USA, see Bohemia, New York. ... Giuseppe Verdi, by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 (National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome) Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (October 10, 1813 â€“ January 27, 1901) was an Italian composer of, mainly, operatic music. ... Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (December 22, 1858 â€“ November 29, 1924) is regarded as one of the great operatic composers of the late 19th and early 20th century. ... Bedrich Smetanas statue in Plzen Smetana monument in LitomyÅ¡l BedÅ™ich Smetana listen? (March 2, 1824 LitomyÅ¡l - May 12, 1884 Prague) was a Czech composer, whose best-known composition is the symphonic poem Vltava (The Moldau), second of a cycle of six, MÃ¡ vlast (My Country). ... AntonÃn DvoÅ™Ã¡k AntonÃn Leopold DvoÅ™Ã¡k listen? (September 8, 1841 â€“ May 1, 1904) was a Czech composer of romantic music. ...

Especially with the ophicleide or later the tuba subjoined to the trombone trio during the 19th century, parts scored for the bass trombone rarely descended as low as the parts scored before the addition of either of these new low brass instruments and only later in the early 20th century did it regain a degree of independence. Experiments with different constitutions of the trombone section during the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Richard Wagner's addition of a contrabass trombone in Der Ring des Nibelungen and Gustav Mahler's and Richard Strauss' occasional augmentation by adding a second bass trombone to the usual trio of two tenor trombones and one bass trombone, have not had any lasting effect as the vast majority of orchestral works are still scored for the usual mid to late 19th century low brass section of two tenor trombones, one bass trombone and one tuba. The ophicleide (pronounced ) is a brass bass instrument related to the bugle. ... The tuba is the largest of the low-brass instruments and is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the ophicleide. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 in Leipzig â€“ February 13, 1883 in Venice) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his groundbreaking symphonic-operas (or music dramas). His compositions are notable for their continuous contrapuntal texture, rich harmonies and orchestration, and elaborate... Der Ring des Nibelungen or, translated commonly as The Ring of the Nibelungen into English but more correctly as The Nibelungs Ring, is a series of four epic operas. ... Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860â€“May 18, 1911) was a Bohemian-Austrian composer and conductor. ... Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864 â€“ September 8, 1949) was a German composer of the late Romantic era, particularly noted for his tone poems and operas. ... The tuba is the largest of the low-brass instruments and is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the ophicleide. ...

20th Century

In the 20th Century the trombone maintained its important position in the orchestra with prominent parts in works by Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler, Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Maurice Ravel, Darius Milhaud, Olivier Messiaen, Igor Stravinsky, Dmitri Shostakovitch, Sergei Rachmaninov, Sergei Prokofiev, Ottorino Respighi, Edward Elgar, Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten, William Walton, Jean Sibelius, Carl Nielsen, Leoš Janáček, George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and Béla Bartók. 20th century classical music, the classical music of the 20th century, was extremely diverse, beginning with the late Romantic style of Sergei Rachmaninoff and the Impressionism of Claude Debussy, and ranging to such distant sound-worlds as the complete serialism of Pierre Boulez, the simple triadic harmonies of minimalist composers... Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864 â€“ September 8, 1949) was a German composer of the late Romantic era, particularly noted for his tone poems and operas. ... Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860â€“May 18, 1911) was a Bohemian-Austrian composer and conductor. ... Arnold Schoenberg, Los Angeles, 1948 For the American music critic and journalist, see Harold Charles Schonberg. ... Alban Maria Johannes Berg (February 9, 1885 â€“ December 24, 1935) was an Austrian composer. ... Joseph-Maurice Ravel (March 7, 1875 â€“ December 28, 1937) was a French composer and pianist, best known for his orchestral work, BolÃ©ro, and his famous 1922 orchestral arrangement of Modest Mussorgskys Pictures at an Exhibition. ... Darius Milhaud (September 4, 1892 - June 22, 1974) was a French-Jewish composer and teacher. ... Olivier Messiaen (IPA: or ; December 10, 1908 â€“ April 27, 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist. ... Igor Fyodorovitch Stravinsky (Russian: ) (June 17, 1882 â€“ April 6, 1971) was a Russian-American composer of modern classical music. ... Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich (Russian Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович) (September 25, 1906 – August 9, 1975) was a Russian composer of the Soviet period. ... Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff, also Sergey Rachmaninov or Serge Rakhmaninov (Серге́й Васи́льевич Рахма́нинов), (April 1, 1873 – March 28, 1943) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. ... Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Russian: , April 271, 1891 â€“ March 5, 1953) was a Ukrainian-born Russian composer who mastered numerous musical genres and came to be admired as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. ... Ottorino Respighi (born in Bologna on July 9, 1879, died in Rome on April 18, 1936) was an Italian composer and musicologist. ... Sir Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, OM, GCVO (2 June 1857 â€“ 23 February 1934) was an English composer, born in the small village of Lower Broadheath outside Worcester, Worcestershire, to William Elgar, a piano tuner and music dealer, and his wife Ann. ... Gustav Holst Gustavus Theodore von Holst (September 21, 1874 â€“ May 25, 1934) was an English composer with Latvian, Swedish, and Spanish roots. ... Ralph Vaughan Williams (October 12, 1872 â€“ August 26, 1958) was an influential British composer. ... Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh (November 22, 1913 â€“ December 4, 1976) was a British composer, conductor and pianist. ... William Turner Walton (March 29, 1902–March 8, 1983) was a British composer influenced by the works of Stravinsky, Sibelius and the jazz genre. ... A bust of Jean Sibelius at the Sibelius-monumentti in Helsinki. ... Carl August Nielsen (June 9, 1865â€“October 3, 1931) was a Danish composer. ... LeoÅ¡ JanÃ¡Äek listen? (July 3, 1854 â€“ August 12, 1928) was a Czech composer. ... George Gershwin photograph by Edward Steichen in 1927. ... Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (November 14, 1900â€“December 2, 1990) was an American composer of modern tonal music as well as film music. ... Bernstein with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, at the 1974 Charles Ives Centenary Concert in Danbury, Connecticut. ... BÃ©la Viktor JÃ¡nos BartÃ³k (March 25, 1881 â€“ September 26, 1945) was a composer, pianist and collector of East European folk music. ...

In the second half of the century, new composers began giving back to the trombone a level of importance in solo and chamber music. Pieces such as Edgar Varèse's Octandre, Paul Hindemith's Sonata and Luciano Berio's Sequenza V led the way for lesser-known composers to build a wider repertoire. Popular choices for recital music today include Stjepan Sulek's Vox Gabrieli, Jacques Casterède's Sonatine and Jean Michel Defaye's Deux Danses. The best known trombone concertos from this period include works by Derek Bourgeois, Lars-Erik Larsson, Launy Grøndahl, Jan Sandström and Gordon Jacob. Edgar (or Edgard) VarÃ¨se (December 22, 1883 â€“ November 6, 1965) was a French-born composer, who moved to the United States in 1915, and took American citizenship in 1926. ... Paul Hindemith (November 16, 1895 â€“ December 28, 1963) was a German composer, violist, teacher, theorist and conductor. ... Luciano Berio (October 24, 1925 â€“ May 27, 2003) was an Italian composer. ... Derek Bourgeois (born Kingston on Thames, 1941) is an English composer. ... Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob (July 5, 1895 – June 8, 1984) was an English composer. ...

Numerous changes in construction have occurred during the 20th century, including the use of different materials, increases in mouthpiece, bore and bell dimensions, new valve types and the innovation of different mute types. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

Today, the trombone can usually be found in wind ensembles/concert bands, symphony orchestras, marching bands, military bands, brass bands, brass choirs, etc. It can be part of smaller groups as well, such as brass quintets, quartets, or trios, or trombone trios, quartets, or choirs (though the size of a trombone choir can vary greatly from five or six to twenty or more members). Trombones are also common in swing, jazz, salsa, and ska music. A wind band, also called concert band, symphonic band, or wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of woodwind, brass, percussion instruments, and often string bass. ... Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ... A marching band performs in a parade A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who generally perform outdoors, and who incorporate movement â€“ usually some type of marching â€“ with their musical performance. ... Military Band marching A military band is a group of soldiers assigned to musical duties. ... The Lochgelly Band, a Scottish colliery band, circa 1890 A brass band is a musical group consisting mostly of brass instruments, often with a percussion section. ... A brass quintet is a five-piece musical ensemble composed of brass instruments. ... Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of jazz music that solidified as a distinctive style during the 1930s in the United States. ... Jazz master Louis Armstrong was one of the best loved and best known of all jazz musicians. ... Salsa music is a diverse and predominantly Caribbean rhythm that is popular in many Latino countries. ... This page is about the musical style. ...

Types of trombone

The most frequently encountered trombones today are the tenor and bass, though as with other Renaissance instruments such as the recorder, the trombone has been built in every size from piccolo to contrabass. These several instruments are described below. Various recorders The recorder is a flute-like woodwind musical instrument. ...

Tenor trombone

Tenor trombone in B♭

The tenor trombone has a fundamental note of B♭ (though tenor trombones in C were almost equally popular during the mid-19th century in Britain and France) and is usually treated as a non-transposing instrument (see below). Since trombones have no valves or keys to change the pitch by a definite amount, trombonists learn seven slide positions. ”King” tenor trombone. ... ”King” tenor trombone. ... The fundamental tone often referred to simply as the fundamental, is the lowest frequency in a harmonic series. ... A nontransposing instrument is a musical instrument whose music is written at concert pitch. ...

The slide is in "first position" when it is retracted all the way and in "seventh position" when it is fully extended. Extending the slide from one position to the next lowers the pitch by one semitone. Thus, for each note in the harmonic series a downwards interval of up to a tritone may be added to the first position note, making the lowest note of the standard instrument an E natural. However, most professional trombonists can play lower "falset" notes and much lower pedal notes (first partials or fundamentals, which have a peculiar metallic rumbling sound) on the instrument. Table 1 below illustrates the seven positions of the trombone slide and the harmonic series associated with each. It may be noted that these positions are subject to adjustment, compensating for imperfections in the tuning of different harmonics. The fifth partial is rather flat on most trombones and usually requires a minute shortening of the slide position to compensate; other small adjustments are also normally required throughout the range. Note that trombonists also make frequent use of alternative positons (shown to the right of the dividing line in the diagram below); for instance, B♭4 may be played in first or fifth positions. This allows a skilled player opportunity to produce a perfect legato - the basic positions often putting him in danger of unwanted glissandi (portamento between adjacent notes). The musical interval of a half step, semitone, or minor second is the relationship between the leading tone and the first note (the root or tonic) in a major scale. ... Pitched musical instruments are usually based on a harmonic oscillator such as a string or a column of air. ... In music theory, an interval is the distance in pitch between two notes, the lower and higher members of the interval. ... The augmented fourth between C and F# forms a tritone. ...

The range of the B♭ tenor trombone (excluding fundamentals or pedal notes) is therefore E2 to F5, though is typically not written higher than D5, though jazz players are often able to produce notes as high as B♭6. Image File history File links Trombone slide positions File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Tenorbass trombone

Modern tenor trombones often include an extra attachment of tubing which can be activated by a trigger or valve. This device was invented by German instrument maker Christian Friedrich Sattler during the late 1830s and patented in 1839. It took its rise at a time when the old German E♭ and F bass trombones had fallen out of favour with orchestral players and were replaced by a B♭ tenor trombone with a larger bore and bell. This instrument, known as the tenorbass trombone (German Tenorbaßposaune) by virtue of the fact that it was a tenor trombone in B♭ built with the bore and bell dimensions of the bass trombone and used to play either tenor or bass trombone parts, was adapted by Sattler to include the rotary valve attachment in order to provide a method of bridging the gap between the first partial (fundamental) B♭ in closed position and second partial E with the slide fully extended in seventh position. The valve attachment allowed players access to low E♭, D, D♭, C and B, thus making the full range of the old bass trombone in 12' F available once more and extending the chromatic range of the tenor trombone through the fundamentals to E1. A rotary valve is a device used to change the pitch of a brass instrument. ...

Although the tenorbass or B♭/F trombone is equipped with a valve, it is not called a valve trombone. Engaging the valve attachment tubing by depressing a metal lever or trigger (known colloquially in Britain and the Commonwealth as the plug) adds approximately 3'/1m of tubing to the total length of the instrument and lowers the pitch from 9' B♭ to 12' F. This facilitates, among many things, the playing of fast passages and legato sections, as well as extending the low range of the tenor trombone into that of the bass trombone. The distance between each position is longer with the valve attachment engaged; there are only six positions available to the player instead of the standard seven as the slide is too short for what is effectively now an instrument equivalent to a bass trombone in 12' F; the distance between positions is 4/3 as long as for a B♭ instrument. It should be noted that on this variation of the instrument, the low B (two leger lines below the bass staff) is impossible to play, unless the F attachment is tuned to E by extending the tuning slide in the attachment tubing.

The range of the tenorbass trombone is therefore E1 to B♭2, then C2 to D5.

Bass trombone

Bass trombone in B♭/F/D

The modern bass trombone is pitched in B♭. It is identical in length to the 9' B♭ tenor trombone and was developed from the 19th century tenorbass trombone, but has a wider bore to aid in the production of a fuller, weightier tone in the low register and one or two valves which, when engaged, lower the key of the instrument to 12' F (and if a second valve is fitted, to G, G♭ E, E♭ or D. depending on the design), allowing the player to bridge the gap between the first partial (fundamental) with the slide in first or closed position and the second partial with the slide fully extended in seventh position. 19th and early 20th century examples of the modern bass trombone were sometimes made with a valve attachment in E rather than F, or with an alternative tuning slide for the attachment tubing enabling the pitch to be lowered to E♭. Bore sizes of the bass trombone are generally slightly larger than those of the largest tenor trombones. Typical specifications include a bore size of 0.562" in the slide and 0.580" through the valve attachment tubing, with a bell from 9" to 10.5" in diameter. Image File history File links Conn 62H bass trombone File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Conn 62H bass trombone File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

The configuration of the valves falls into one of three categories on the modern bass trombone: a simple B♭/F instrument (of larger dimensions than the B♭/F tenor trombone) equipped with one valve; a B♭/F instrument equipped with a second dependent valve, which relies on the first to be engaged before the ancillary tubing is deployed; a B♭/F instrument equipped with a second independent or in-line valve, which acts independently from the first and may be used to lower the pitch to G or G♭ individually, or to E♭ or D when used in combination with the first valve.

The range of the modern bass trombone is fully chromatic from the lowest fundamental with the valve attachment tubing deployed, potentially as low as C1 or B♭1, up to C5 or higher, depending on the player. It is usually scored in the range B♭2 to B♭5.

There is usually one bass trombone in a standard symphony orchestra (some works call for two) and it is also seen in brass bands, swing bands, wind ensembles, and a variety of brass groups; the bass trombone is usually played by the third or fourth trombonist in a trombone section, the first two or three parts usually being for tenor (and possibly alto) trombones. Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ...

Bass trombones in G, F, E♭, etc.

Bass trombone in F

Bass trombone in E♭

Bass trombone in G

Older, obsolete versions of the bass trombone were of smaller bore than the modern bass trombones described above. They were pitched in G, F, E, E♭, D or C and had a longer slide and a handle attached to the outer slide stay to allow for full extension of the slide. These older types of bass trombone were used in Europe and the British Empire. Image File history File links Bass trombone in F by SÃ¤chsische Musikinstrumenten Fabriken VEB, Klingenthal, Saxony. ... Image File history File links Bass trombone in F by SÃ¤chsische Musikinstrumenten Fabriken VEB, Klingenthal, Saxony. ... Image File history File links Bass trombone in Eâ™. Marked G. W. Voight Jr. ... Image File history File links Bass trombone in Eâ™. Marked G. W. Voight Jr. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (640x828, 40 KB)G bass trombone File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (640x828, 40 KB)G bass trombone File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

The oldest of these instruments were the E, D and C bass trombones, which were used in Europe during the Renaissance and early Baroque periods; by the 18th century the F and E♭ bass trombones were used in Germany, Austria and Sweden and the E♭ bass trombone in France, though these fell out of favour in the early nineteenth century and began to be replaced by the tenor trombone, later (after 1840) the tenorbass trombone with F rotary valve attachment.

The bass trombone in G (the orchestral version was in G equipped with a rotary valve attachment actuating D or C, extending the range to A2 or A♭1) enjoyed a period of extended popularity in France during the second half of the nineteenth century, and in Great Britain and the British Empire from approximately 1850 to the 1950s, though it lingered on in some parts of Britain until the 1970s and 1980s and is still occasionally to be seen there in brass bands and period instrument orchestras.

The range of the E♭ bass trombone is A2 to B♭5, that of the F bass trombone is B2 to C5 and that of the G bass trombone is D♭2, or A2 or A♭1 with a D or C valve attachment (the C attachment being used expressly for playing parts written for the contrabass trombone, to D5.

Contrabass trombone

Contrabass trombone in F

Contrabass trombone in B♭/F

The contrabass trombone is usually pitched in 12' F a perfect fourth lower than the modern tenor or bass trombone and has been through a number of changes in its history. Its first incarnation during the Renaissance was in 24' F, one octave below the modern pitch of 12' F, or 18' B♭. During this period it was built as an oversized bass trombone with a long slide and extension handle to reach the lower positions. The innovation of the double slide, in which the slide is wound back on itself to produce four tubes, each of which moves in tandem with its partner and halves the usual length of the slide shifts, took place towards the end of this period and was applied to the bass and contrabass trombones. During the nineteenth century, the contrabass trombone enjoyed a revival and it was constructed according to the double slide principle. Image File history File links Contrabass trombone in F by Helmut Voigt File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Contrabass trombone in F by Helmut Voigt File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Contrabass trombone in B flat/F by Miraphone File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Contrabass trombone in B flat/F by Miraphone File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (1876, though the individual operas were performed separately before the entire cycle saw its première in 1876) employed the contrabass trombone for the first time in the opera house and was followed by Strauss' Elektra in 1908 and Schoenberg's mammoth cantata Gurrelieder (scored for a section of seven trombones including alto and contrabass) in 1913, although generally the contrabass trombone has not proven to be a permanent addition to the opera or concert orchestra and is only required in a small number of mainly 20th century works. Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 in Leipzig â€“ February 13, 1883 in Venice) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his groundbreaking symphonic-operas (or music dramas). His compositions are notable for their continuous contrapuntal texture, rich harmonies and orchestration, and elaborate... Der Ring des Nibelungen or, translated commonly as The Ring of the Nibelungen into English but more correctly as The Nibelungs Ring, is a series of four epic operas. ... Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864 â€“ September 8, 1949) was a German composer of the late Romantic era, particularly noted for his tone poems and operas. ... Elektra is a one-act opera by Richard Strauss, to a German-language libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal adapted from his drama of 1903â€”the first of many such collaborations between composer and librettist. ... Arnold Schoenberg, Los Angeles, 1948 For the American music critic and journalist, see Harold Charles Schonberg. ... Cantata (Italian for a song or story set to music), a vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement. ...

In 1921 Ernst Dehmel, a German inspector of orchestras and bass trombonist from Berlin, patented a new design of contrabass trombone utilising the old German military band bass trombone in F equipped with two independent rotary valves to replace the handle required on the long slide and to fill in the missing notes between the first partial (fundamental) in closed position and the second partial with the slide fully extended. This bass-contrabass instrument is the precursor of the modern contrabass trombone, which is still largely constructed according to the same principles and to all intents and purposes completely replaced the older double slide variety, which is very rarely seen today. Bore sizes for the slide of the contrabass trombone are typically in the 0.567" to 0.635" range; the most common sizes on contrabass trombones in F are between 0.567" and 0.580" as the larger sizes are usually reserved for the contrabass trombone in low B♭. The bell diameter is typically 10"-11".

The range of the contrabass trombone (excluding fundamentals or pedal notes) demanded by Wagner is from E1 to E4, though composers since then have required even lower notes even as low as B♭1. Given that the older B♭ contrabass is less common nowadays in professional ensembles, the F contrabass trombonist produces notes below G♭1 as fundamentals, allowing full access to the range of the older B♭ contrabass trombone and extending the range even lower. Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 in Leipzig â€“ February 13, 1883 in Venice) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his groundbreaking symphonic-operas (or music dramas). His compositions are notable for their continuous contrapuntal texture, rich harmonies and orchestration, and elaborate...

The use of a contrabass trombone almost always requires the addition of a fourth player to the trombone section and while in the past parts for the instrument were sometimes played on a tuba or, more recently, a bass trombone, it is nowadays considered unacceptable to use anything but a contrabass trombone to play these parts, at least in professional settings. Most opera house orchestras and some symphony orchestras require the bass trombonist to double on the contrabass trombone.

Alto trombone

E♭ alto trombone by Courtois

The alto trombone is pitched in E♭ (occasionally with a D or B♭ rotary valve attachment) or F, a perfect fourth or fifth higher than the tenor trombone and was commonly used from the 16th to the 18th centuries as the highest voice in the brass choir, though it declined in popularity from the early 19th century, when the trumpet acquired valves and trombones became an established section in the symphony orchestra, and it was replaced by a tenor trombone as the range of the parts can usually be covered by the tenor instrument. While some first trombonists have used the alto trombone as indicated, it was unfashionable from the mid-19th century to the late 20th and has only recently enjoyed something of a revival. Image File history File links Alto trombone in Eâ™ by Courtois File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Alto trombone in Eâ™ by Courtois File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

As the slide is shorter, the positions are different from the tenor and bass trombones and as most players are familiar with the slide positions of the B♭ trombone, it is easy to appreciate why the instrument fell out of favour, especially with the increase in upper range and flexibility cultivated by and demanded of first trombonists in the 19th and 20th centuries. The tone of the alto is more brilliant than that of the tenor or bass trombone. The bore of an alto trombone is similar to that of a small tenor trombone - usually around 0.450"-0.500", with a 6.5" or 7" bell.

The range of the E♭ alto trombone (excluding fundamentals or valve attachments) is A3 to B♭6, though it is typically not scored any higher than F5, this being already quite an exalted region for this instrument.

The alto trombone is primarily used in choral, orchestral and operatic settings, although it has enjoyed a history as a solo instrument, primarily in 18th century Vienna. Modern composers have rediscovered the instrument and the alto trombone has begun making more appearances in modern compositions. Nowadays professional orchestral tenor trombonists are expected to play the alto trombone and famous works scored for this instrument include several Mozart masses including the Great Mass in C minor, Requiem, Don Giovanni and Die Zauberflöte, Haydn's Die Schöpfung and Die Jahreszeiten, Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 5, 6 & 9 and Missa Solemnis, Schubert's Symphonies Nos. 7, 8 & 9, Mass No. 5 in A♭ and

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