Alto Trombone

One of my primary areas of interest as a performer and researcher is alto trombone. Below are a few articles, along with some other alto-related stuff that may be of interest. As always, your questions and comments are welcome.

Research:

Alto Trombone Timeline: The alto trombone timeline I’ve posted here is primarily a subset of the general Trombone History Timeline found elsewhere on this site. It draws from many of the most recent, up-to-date sources, as well as more than 50 primary sources. Like the general timeline, it’s a work in progress—still lots of stuff to add.

praetorius-plate-82Praetorius on Alto Trombone: Here’s why the partial-sentence that some scholars are fond of quoting is perhaps something short of the full story. 

Alto and Voice: One of the attractive aspects of alto trombone literature is the amount of rewarding music written for alto trombone and voice. There are a number of beautiful late Baroque and Classical works that provide a welcome change of pace in a trombone recital.

Extant Altos: From time to time there is an argument set forth that we really shouldn’t be using alto trombone so much. Here’s what a close look at the many existing pre-1800 alto trombones may bring to bear on the discussion.

brahmsAlto Quotes: See a sampling of positive aesthetic opinions about the alto trombone (its benefits, sound, etc.) from a wide range of respected musicians and commentators.

 

 

 

Performance:

Solo CD, “Collage”: My recently-released CD includes Leopold Mozart’s Concerto for Alto Trombone and an arrangement of Faure’s “Pie Jesu” (from his Requiem) for alto trombone and organ.

Solo Recitals: I try to fit in an alto trombone piece on every solo recital I play. It provides a nice change of tone color and a little variety in the trombone’s twentieth century-laden literature. Solo alto repertoire I’ve enjoyed performing recently has included Albrechtsberger, Concerto; Wagenseil, Concerto; Leopold Mozart, Concerto; Zechner, Aria Solemnus; Anonymous, St. Thomas Sonata; Tartini, Concerto (arr.); and Faure, “Pie Jesu” (arr.). 

Utah Trombone Authority: A trombone quartet with Jim Nova (Utah Symphony), Rusty McKinney (Utah Symphony), Mark Ammons (Brigham Young University), and myself. Our recently released CD, “Utah Trombone Authority,” is produced by Tantara Records. I occasionally push my luck and bring out alto for a piece or two with this group; recently I’ve used it on the Persichetti hymns we have arranged and Elizabeth Raum’s Fanfare. A new quartet written recently for us by composer Neil Thornock also features alto trombone as the top voice and will be recorded by UTA this summer.


Utah’s Ultimate Trombone Ensemble: A professional trombone ensemble, led by Rusty McKinney, that meets regularly in Salt Lake. The group includes current and former Utah Symphony members, college professors, and area professionals. Arrangers for the group have written some very challenging alto parts over the past several years. Our 2 performances at the 2008 International Trombone Festival featured quite a bit of alto, including an arrangement of Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man that used 6 alto trombones (an act that was, as Rusty McKinney puts it, “probably illegal”).

 

Other Materials (Published):

Kimball, Will and Joseph Hansen, “Alto Trombone Pedagogical Materials.” International Trombone Association Journal (Winter 2007). Co-authored article with student Joseph Hansen in connection with mentoring of Honors “Capstone Project.”

J. Mark Thompson, ed., Solos for the Student Trombonist, 2nd ed. Vuarmarens, Switzerland: The Brass Press/Editions BIM, 2004. One of 15 contributors; 11 alto trombone entries.

Kimball, Will, “The Rise and Fall . . . and Rise of the Alto Trombone.” National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Journal (Spring, 2000).

Kimball, Will, “Alto Trombone Solo Literature: An Annotated Bibliography” DMA diss. Arizona State University, 2001. Eventually this will be converted to book form, to be published commercially.

Kimball, Will, “Music for the Alto Trombone.” The Instrumentalist (January, 1997).