Musical Instrument Serie - 8

Trombone Alto



The Alto Trombone: Twentieth-century
Performance Practices and Pedagogy
in the United States

By David Gordon Mathie

The purpose of this study was to examine the twentieth-century alto trombone performance practices and pedagogy in the United States. The document includes a study of the historical background of the alto trombone prior to the twentieth-century; an examination of the alto trombone in twentieth-century music, including orchestra, operatic, choral, solo and chamber music; an examination of the pedagogical materials such as etudes and studies available for the alto trombone; and a survey of the manner in which the alto trombone is presently being used, including equipment choices, instructional techniques, and performance trends.

To ascertain the present use of the alto trombone, the author employed a questionnaire polling 332 professional orchestral trombonists and college-level trombone teachers in the United States. The results of this questionnaire were summarized in five areas: 1) demographic information, 2) equipment uses, 3) pedagogical materials used, 4) orchestral use, and 5) general concerns. The subjects' responses indicated that there is a renewed interest in solo and orchestral alto trombone playing. New music, method books, and editions of older music are now being published; a variety of quality instruments is currently available; and a growing number of trombonists are learning to play the instrument. The survey results also formed the basis for a recommended two-semester course of study for the alto trombone at the college level.
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The Alto Trombone in the Orchestra: 1800-2000

This is a must read for those interested in the historic use of alto in the orchestra!

Extracted from the published edition
(Originally PhD thesis, Oxford University, May 2000)
by Ken Shifrin, Former Principal Trombonist, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

http://www.trombone-society.org.uk/resources/articles/shifrin/shifrin01.php

Part I
Alto-Tenor-Bass Trombone Trio
Chapter 1
From Beethoven to Schumann
Chapter 2
Ascent of the Tenor Trombone

Part II
Alto Trombone is Rarer Than it Was
Chapter 3
Bruckner
Chapter 4
Brahms
Chapter 5
Dvorák
Coda
Orchestral Alto Trombone in the 20th Century

Bibliography
Author Biography
Appendix 1 Benjamin Britten: The Burning Fiery Furnace
Appendix 2 Alto Trombone Technical Innovations: Gadgets, Gimmicks and Gizmos?
Appendix 3 Equipment survey

Music Examples