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This, That, or the Other: Labeling in Early Music

February 25, 2010 by wkimball · Leave a Comment 

I just finished adding nearly 40 new entries to the 17th century (2nd half) timeline from Charlotte Leonard’s very thorough “The Role of the Trombone and its Affekt in the Lutheran Church Music of Seventeenth Century Saxony and Thuringia: The Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century” Historic Brass Society Journal 12 (2000), 161-209.

One of the things worth noting about the music in question is the freedom with which instrumentation is treated. Many, many of the composers are loose with instrumentation, providing several different options for which instruments may be used. At times there is so much latitude that instrumentation instructions come across as suggestions rather than requirements. In earlier eras, of course, instrumentation wasn’t even labeled at all. Based on this and other evidence, I would be suspicious of anyone who puts too much emphasis on precise labeling in early music (including alto versus tenor trombone). By all accounts, labeling was really quite free!

New Timeline Entries:

1648—Johann Rosenmüller scores for soprano voice, 2 violas or trombones, violone or trombone, and basso continuo in Lieber Herre Gott (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1648—Johann Rosenmüller scores for alto voices, 3 violas or trombones, violone or trombone, and basso continuo in O admirabile commercium (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1652—Zittau, Germany: Andreas Hammerschmidt calls for 3 trombones in Lob- und Danck Lied aus dem 84 Psalm (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1652/53—Johann Rosenmüller scores for alto voice, 2 violas or trombones, violone or trombone, and basso continuo in O dives omnium bonarum dapum (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1652/53—Johann Rosenmüller scores for soprano and alto voices, 2 violas or trombones, violone or trombone, and basso continuo in O dulcis Christe, bone Jesu Charitas (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1652/53—Johann Rosenmüller scores for alto voices, 3 violas or trombone, violone or trombone, and basso continuo in Amo te Deus meus amore magno (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1657—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for alto voice, 2 violas or trombones, violone or trombone, and basso continuo in Gehe aus auf die Landstrassen (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1657—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for alto voice, 3 violas or trombones, a violone or trombone, and basso continuo in Jesu dulcis memoria (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1657—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for SATB, cornetto or violin, 2 violas or trombones, a violone or trombone, and basso continuo in his Magnificat (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1657—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for SATB, 2 violins, 3 trombones or violas, trombone or violone, and basso continuo in his Missa a 10 (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1658—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for bass voice, viola or trombone, violone or trombone, and basso continuo in Herr, nun läst du deinen Diener (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1658—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for soprano, alto, and tenor voice; 3 flutes or violins; flute or trombone or violone; and basso continuo in Seht euch für den falschen Propheten (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1658—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for voices, trombone or bassoon or viola, trombone or bassoon, 2 bassoons, and basso continuo in Fürchtet euch nicht (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1658—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for voices, 2 violins, 2 violas or trombones, 2 flutes, 2 trombones, and basso continuo in Meine Seele erhebet den Herren (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1658—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for SATB, 2 violins, 3 trombones, and basso continuo in Erschienen ist der herrliche Tag (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1658—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for voices, 3 trombones or violas, “trombone majore,” and basso continuo in his Magnificat (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1658—Briegel scores for voices, 2 cornetti, 4 trombones, and basso continuo in his Nun lob mein Seel (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1662—Zittau, Germany: Andreas Hammerschmidt scores for soprano voice, 2 trombette, 4 trombones, violone, and basso continuo in Nun lob mein Seel (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1662—Zittau, Germany: Andreas Hammerschmidt scores for alto voice, 2 clarinos, 4 trombones, violone, and basso continuo in Herr hadre and Gelobet systu Jesu Christi (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1662— Zittau, Germany: Andreas Hammerschmidt scores for voices, 2 violins, 3 trombones, and basso continuo in his Missa XIII (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1663— Zittau, Germany: Andreas Hammerschmidt scores for voices, 2 violins, 4 trombones, and basso continuo in his Missa XVI (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1663—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for voices, 2 violins, 2 trombette, 2 cornetti, 2 trombones, 2 flauti, and basso continuo in Sie ist fest gegründet (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1664—Bernhard’s multichoral Benedic anima mea calls for 4 trombones (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1665—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for voices, 2 violins, 4 trombones, and basso continuo in Zwingt die Saiten in Cithara (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1665—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for voices, 2 violins, 4 trombones, and basso continuo in Wie bin ich doch so herzlich froh (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1665—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for voices, 2 trombette, 3 trombones, and basso continuo in his Benedicamus (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1665—Johann Rudolph Ahle calls for 4 trombones in his Gloria in excelsis Deo (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1672—Knüpfer calls for 4 trombones in Quare fremuerent gentes (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1674—Becker scores for voices, 2 violins or trombette, 2 trombones or violas, trombone or bassoon or violone, and basso continuo in Das Blut Jesu Christi (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

c. 1675—Johann Rosenmüller calls for 5 trombones in his Als der Tag der Pfingsten erfüllet war (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

c. 1675—Johann Rosenmüller calls for 5 trombones in his Nun gibst du, Gott, einen gnädigen Regen (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1678—Johann Rudolph Ahle scores for soprano voices, 2 trombette, 3 trombones, and basso continuo in his Freudenlied (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1686—J.P. Krieger scores for soprano voices, violin, and viola da gamba or trombone in Ich bin eine Blume zu Saron (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

c. 1690—Schulze calls for trombone (or bassoon or violone) in his Historia Resurrectionis Domini nostri (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

c. 1690—Knüpfer calls for 4 trombones in Komm heilger Geist (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1690—Johann Rosenmüller calls for 4 trombones in Siehe eine Jungfrau ist (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

1700—Knüpfer scores for voices, 2 violins or cornettini, viola da gamba or bambardo or trombone, and organ in O benignissime Jesu (Leonard, The Role of the Trombone…Mid- and Late Seventeenth Century).

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Bethlehem Moravians in Trombone History

February 6, 2010 by wkimball · Leave a Comment 

The influence of the Moravians on the history of the trombone has been widely documented. For entries in the timeline, for example, see 1754, 1760, 1763, 1765, 1767, 1768, 1770, 1771, 1781, 1783, 1822, 1874, 1903, and 1944. More entries will undoubtedly be forthcoming as I continue to add to the timeline. I recently added two new images related to the Moravian trombone tradition in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to the timeline. Both are from the periodical Harper’s Weekly. The first shows Moravian trombonists taking part in funeral services, while the second shows a group of trombonists playing from a belfry, announcing the beginning of a music festival. I’ve also included, below those, a set of photographs of Moravian trombonists from Bethlehem, PA, that I posted in the 20th Century timeline and an earlier blog entry.

Detail from A.R. Waud, Moravians at Bethlehem

1874—Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: The Moravians at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, an engraving by Alfred Waud published in Harper’s Weekly, depicts trombone ensembles performing from a church tower (“Funeral Notes”) and at a graveside service (“Burial Service”) (see above detail; public domain) (Harper’s Weekly, 1874, Issue 4/18, p. 346).

"The Trombone Choir"

1903—Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: Harper’s Weekly publishes an engraving depicting a trombone ensemble performing from a church tower at the beginning of the city’s famous Bach festival. The caption reads, “The Trombone Choir: Announcing the beginning of the performances from the belfry” (see above image; public domain) (Harper’s Weekly, 1903, Issue 5/16, p. 800).

Taken by Howard R. Hollem, the above 3 photographs date from 1944 and bear the title “The Moravian trombone choir which plays chorales before the opening of each performance of the Bach choir.” They belong to the American Memory collection of the Library of Congress.

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Trombone Iconography: Young Trombonists in Four Montserrat Paintings

February 3, 2010 by wkimball · Leave a Comment 

In my search for images for the Trombone History Timeline I’ve come across some pretty interesting little trends and groupings—trombones in altarpieces, trombones on organ cases, angel-trombonists, trombones in Antwerp, early rear-facing trombones, early female trombonists, etc. Another noteworthy little grouping is a set of four trombone images referencing Spain’s Montserrat. The first two paintings are from Spain, while the other two actually originate from the New World–Colonial Peru.

Montserrat, shown below in a modern photograph, is a mountain in the Catalonia region of Spain. The mountain has a strong religious association with the Virgin and with music, associations that stem from a legend that a statue of a Black Madonna was discovered there in the 9th century when music was heard coming from one of the mountain’s caves. Montserrat became a popular pilgrimage site, and a monastery was founded there in the 11th century. Although the mountain has been the home of several chapels, only the monastery and a single chapel survive. The abbey became home to a highly-regarded music school, the Escolania de Montserrat, retaining, even in present day, one of the most highly-regarded boy’s choirs in Europe. As Kenyon de Pascual points out, the young musicians depicted in the paintings (or at least the first two paintings in this set) are probably students from this school. The inclusion of musicians in the paintings indicates the importance of music in the Montserrat abbey. In addition, Kenyon de Pascual maintains that the specific composition of instrumentalists depicted in Montserrat paintings evolves over time, “reflecting the updating of the types of instruments in use at the monastery” (Kenyon de Pascual, Two Contributions). This, of course, has implications for the appearance of trombones in these paintings.

Mt. Montserrat, Spain

The first painting, Juan Ricci’s The Virgin of Montserrat (1639), depicts several young musicians at the base of the image: a choir accompanied by cornetto, two shawms, trombone, and dulcian (see below; public domain; Museum of Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain) (Remnant West 203). Ricci’s is the earliest of the set of four paintings in this post. Kenyon de Pascual points out that Juan Ricci may have started this whole thing: “Some believe that it was the Ricci painting now in Montserrat that actually initiated the centuries-long Catalan tradition of portraits of the virgin of Montserrat accompanied by a small group of singers and instrumentalists.” Ricci was, in fact, a Benedictine monk who belonged to the Montserrat community in his twenties and again in his thirties; he would have had an intimate knowledge of the specific makeup of the musicians at the monastery (Kenyon de Pascual, Two Contributions). The 17th Century Timeline (first half, second half) does reveal several examples of trombone performance activity in Spain at the time.

Juan Ricci, The Virgin of Montserrat

The second painting, which is so similar to the first that it would appear that either one of the artists was copying the other or they were both working from another original, is Alonso Cano’s The Virgin of Montserrat, c. 1640 (see below; public domain image) (Usandizaga 61; Museum of Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando). Although the artistic styles are different, and there are some superficial differences such as hair color, the positioning of the subject material is nearly identical. It is interesting to observe that, as art historian Stella Nair points out, “Copying originals in the form of prints and sometimes paintings has a long history in Europe and became a common practice among artists in the colonial New World” (Nair, Localized Sacredness). That is to say, these paintings are probably part of the tradition of artistic copying, a practice not altogether different from musical traditions of the time.

Alonso Cano, The Virgin of Montserrat

The third and fourth paintings, which both originate from Peru, are also very similar to each other. Historians speculate that they could be copies of each other, could be by the same artist, or could be renderings by separate artists who were both following a European archetype (Nair, Localizing Sacredness). The third painting, shown below, is an anonymous work from Iglesia de Santiago in Cuzco, Peru, dating from around 1690 (see below detail and full image; public domain) (Nair, Localizing Sacredness). As you can see, the trombone in the painting is a very light, almost ghost-like depiction, the other musicians being even more difficult to distinguish. Again, in looking at the 17th Century Timeline (first half, second half), historical documents would seem to indicate an active trombone performance tradition in the region and time period. Incidentally, another noteworthy depiction of a trombonist from Colonial Peru is featured in an anonymous painting of Cuzco’s Corpus Christi Procession (1674-80).

Anonymous, The Virgin of Montserrat (detail)

Anonymous, The Virgin of Montserrat

The fourth painting, Francisco Chivantito’s The Virgin of Monserrat (1693), is located in the parochial church of Chichero, Cuzco, Peru. Chivantito, an indigenous Peruvian artist, includes a depiction of a trombonist in a prominent position near the center of the painting (Nair, Localizing Sacredness). In contrast to the anonymous Santiago painting above, the musicians in Chivantito’s image are much clearer and more vivid. A cornetto player stands to the right of the trombonist, while two other similarly-dressed musicians, probably also cornetto players, stand behind. The trombone player is so beautifully executed that I have included it in a separate detail. The angels sawing the mountain in the middle-right of the painting allude to the literal meaning of Montserrat (“sawed mountain,” in reference to the mountain’s jagged appearance) (see below detail and full image; public domain; Velarde 82; Rosas 384).

Chivantito, The Virgin of Montserrat (detail)

Chivantito, The Virgin of Montserrat

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Trombone History: The Trombone and Altarpieces

January 27, 2010 by wkimball · Leave a Comment 

I recently added the below altarpiece to the 16th century timeline. The religious significance of the early trombone is actually reflected in several altarpieces from the 16th and early 17th centuries; I’ve included 5 others in this blog post, all of them currently shown in the timeline. Unlike the trombones on organ cases, which are clearly centered in Germany, the altarpieces seem to be spread throughout Europe.

Peter Spring altarpiece, Fribourg

1592-1601—Fribourg, Switzerland: The Augustinian monastery’s altarpiece by Peter Spring depicts a group of angel-musicians, including an angel playing a trombone (see above image; public domain) (Wold 82).

Detail, The Engagement of St. Ursula and Prince Etherius

The Engagement of St. Ursula and Prince Etherius

c. 1520—Spain: The Engagement of St. Ursula and Prince Etherius, sometimes also titled St. Ursula and Prince Etherius Making a Solemn Vow, a panel painting from the Master of Saint Auta Altarpiece, depicts a trombonist with a wind band performing from a loft or window. The painting may represent the earliest visual depiction of a black trombonist (see above detail and full image; public domain) (Lisbon, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Inv. No. 597) (Bowles, Musikleben 30-31).

Detail, Hans Baldung, Coronation of the Virgin

Hans Baldung, Coronation of the Virgin

1516—Freiburg, Germany: Hans Baldung’s painting, Coronation of the Virgin, the central panel of an altarpiece located in the Freiburg Cathedral, includes an angel-trombonist among a group of angels playing wind instruments above and to the left of the Virgin (see above detail and full image; public domain) (Burkhard pl. 2).

Detail, Elsheimer, The Exaltation of the Cross

c. 1595—Frankfurt, Germany: Adam Elsheimer’s, The Exaltation of the Cross, part of an altarpiece of several copper panels, portrays an angel playing trombone among a group of other angel musicians. Elsheimer, known for his variety of light effects, places the trombonist near the burst of light at the top of the painting (see above detail; public domain: wikimedia commons) (Klessmann).

Lastmann, David in the Temple

1618—Pieter Lastmann’s altar scene, David in the Temple, portrays a trombone performing with voices, tamborine, pommer, and 2 string instruments (see above image; public domain) (Kinsky 177; Buchner 254).

Bueno and Cano, Virgin of the Rosary altarpiece

c. 1620-24—Seville, Spain: The altarpiece of the Virgin of the Rosary of the Parish of Santa Ana, probably painted by Diego López Bueno and Miguel Cano, includes a depiction of an angel playing trombone (see bottom-right of above image; public domain image) (Alonso Cano 613).

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CD Cover Art

January 25, 2010 by wkimball · Leave a Comment 

Just noticed today that the cover jacket for Christian Lindberg’s new CD, The Baroque Trombone, released last September, uses one of the images included in the Trombone History Timeline. The image, shown below, was added to the 17th century timeline in October 2008. I came across the painting for the first time while tracking down another painting by the same artist, Lionello Spada; that painting is also shown below. I think they’re two of the most beautiful depictions of the early trombone in visual art.

1615—Reggio Emilia, Italy: Lionello Spada’s fresco in the cupola of the Chiesa della Ghiara includes depictions of numerous angel-musicians, including an angel playing trombone (see facing image; public domain) (Quintavelle, plate 81; Monducci 130).

c. 1610—Rome, Italy: Lionello Spada’s painting, Concert, which shows a group of musicians presumably preparing for a performance, includes a clear depiction of a musician removing the outer slide of a trombone (see below image; public domain) (Egan; Monducci 81).

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Earliest Depiction of Black Trombonist?

January 21, 2010 by wkimball · 1 Comment 

Today I added a color version of the below image, along with a nice detail of the musicians, to the 16th century timeline. An apt example of the trombone in the wind band tradition (alta ensemble, waits, pifferi, Stadtpfeifer), it is one of only a small handful of trombone paintings from late 15th/early 16th century, and it may be the earliest existing visual depiction of a black trombonist in trombone history.

c. 1520—Spain: The Engagement of St. Ursula and Prince Etherius, sometimes also titled St. Ursula and Prince Etherius Making a Solemn Vow, a panel painting from the Master of Saint Auta Altarpiece, depicts a trombonist with a wind band performing from a loft or window. The painting may represent the earliest visual depiction of a black trombonist (see facing detail and full image below; public domain) (Lisbon, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Inv. No. 597) (Bowles, Musikleben 30-31).

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Still Another 17C Italian Angel-Trombonist

December 26, 2009 by wkimball · Leave a Comment 

Added the below images and caption to the Early 17th Century Trombone History Timeline. The instrument appears to be a trombone, although the left-hand grip of the player is unusual. Again, like many other frescoes from this region and time period, the image would seem to reflect the religious connections in trombone history.

1623—Varese, Italy: Cappella XI, cappella della Resurrezione, of Sacro Monte, is completed. The semicircular apse features a fresco by Isidoro Bianchi that includes what is probably a trombone among one group of angel-musicians (see facing detail and bottom-left of full image, below; click for larger image; public domain) (Angelis 147).

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Yet Another Angel-Trombonist from 17th-Century Italy

December 21, 2009 by wkimball · Leave a Comment 

I recently posted a blog entry (here) that mentioned how common paintings of angel-trombonists from 17th-century Italy are, reflecting as they do the sacred nature of the trombone. Below is yet another painting that I’ve located. The detail of the top portion, along with the entry, has been posted in the 17th century timeline (first half). The full image, included here below the detail, was not included in the timeline because of space. The painting is noteworthy for its expressive, individualistic style.

c. 1625—Ascona, Italy: Giovanni Serodine paints Coronation of the Virgin with Saints in Ascona’s parish church. The image features a consort of angel-musicians playing 2 viols, cornetto, and trombone (see facing detail of top portion of painting; public domain).

Serodine, Coronation of the Virgin, upper detail

Serodine, Coronation of the Virgin, full image

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Angel-Trombonists, Italian Painters, and the 17th Century

December 16, 2009 by wkimball · Leave a Comment 

Added another image of an angel-trombonist to the Early 17th Century Timeline (see images and timeline entry, below). Trombone history seems to replete with these striking paintings, particularly by Italian artists, depicting the sacred nature of the trombone. See especially 17th Century (first half) and 17th Century (second half).

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Proso di Piuro detailProso di Piuroc. 1641—Prosto di Piuro, Valchiavenna, Italy: A fresco in the vault of the presbytery of chiesa dell’Assunta painted by either Giovan Battista Recchi or his brother, Giovan Paolo Recchi, includes a trombonist among several angel musicians (see facing detail and full image, below; public domain) (Pescarmona 77).

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Trombone History: What a Relief

December 8, 2009 by wkimball · Leave a Comment 

Added the following image and entry to the 17th century (first half) trombone history timeline:

Weikersheim detailWeikersheim organ1602—Weikersheim Castle, Germany: An organ for the castle chapel is made by Georg Schweitzer. The case just below the organ contains an image of a trombonist performing with a flute, viol, and organ (see facing detail and full image below; public domain) (Völkl 39).

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