Trombone and Violin(s), Pre-1800

annunziata genova 1 cropped

Early Baroque angel-musicians (Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato, Genoa, ca. 1640).

TROMBONE AND VIOLIN(S)

Note: Many pieces in this category list violin as interchangeable with cornett.

1609—Italy: Ercole Porta calls for violin and trombone in his 2-part Sinfonia (Winkler 298).

1610—Italy: Giovanni Paolo Cima publishes Concerti ecclesiastici. One of the sonatas in the collection calls for violin (or cornett), trombone (or violone), and organ (Collver 47).

1610—Venice, Italy: Adriano Banchieri publishes a collection of 21 motets, Vezzo di perle musicali modernamente. Following the final page of music, six ways in which the motets may be performed are enumerated, including “Trombone & Violino Stromenti” (Collver 42).

1613—Imola, Italy: Giulio Belli writes Concerti ecclesiastici a due et a tre voci, which calls for trombone. Specifically, Canzona No. 16 is a 2-part work that specifies trombone, cornett (or violin), and continuo, and Canzona No. 29 is a 3-part work calling for 2 cornetts (or violins), trombone, and continuo (Collver 43).

1613—Italy: Ercole Porta’s Canzona 34, a 3-part work, calls for 2 cornetts or violins and one trombone (Winkler 299).

1615—Arcangelo Borsaro writes for 2 cornettos (or violins), trombone, and organ in his La Matusaleme a tre from Odarati fiori (Collver 45).

1617—Biagio Marini’s Affetti musicali includes La Giustiniana, which is scored for 2 violins or cornetts, trombone, and continuo; La Foscarina, which is scored for 2 violins or cornetts, trombone, and continuo; La Hiacintina, which is scored for violin or cornett, trombone, and continuo; and La Marina, which is scored for violin or cornett, 2 trombones, and continuo (Collver 59).

1618—Venice, Italy: Bastiano Miseroca’s I pietosi affetti includes Canzon a 3, which calls for 2 cornetts or violins, trombone, and basso continuo (Collver 62).

1618/19—Giovanni Priuli, Canzon quarta à 6 (3 violini, 3 tromboni).

1620—Venice, Italy: Giovanni Battista Riccio calls for trombone in a collection of canzoni, Il terzo libro delle divine lodi musicali (Selfridge-Field, Instrumentation). Specific examples include Canzon La Fineta, a 2-part work for trombone and violin; Canzon La Savoldi, a 2-part work for trombone and violin; Canzon La Picchi, a 2-part work for trombone and violin; Canzon La Rubina, a 3-part work for 2 violins or cornetts and trombone, and Canzon La Moceniga, a 3-part work for 2 violins and 2 trombones (Winkler 300; Collver 65).

1620—Italy: Ercole Porta’s L’Animosa and La Spensierata, both 2-part works, are scored for trombone and violin (Winkler 300).

1620—Italy: Ercole Porta calls for 2 violins and 3 trombones in 3 separate pieces: Consolamini, Salve Mater pia, and Mass. The pieces come from the composer’s collection, Sacro convito.

1620—Bologna, Italy: Banchieri’s Sonata sopra l’Aria del Gran Duca calls for trombone and 2 violins (Winkler 299).

1621—Dario Castello composes numerous chamber compositions with parts for 1 or 2 trombones, particularly in his Quinta Sonata from Book I. In these works, the trombone is the only instrument specifically named (Wigness 9). Referring to the virtuosic technical demands of the trombone parts in these sonatas, the second edition of Book 1 includes the following note: “He says, in short, that they are the consequence of the new style everyone is observing and hopes that the players will not give up on the first try” (Wigness 10).

1621—At the Bavarian court in Munich, cornettist and trombonist Giulio Martino Cesare writes a collection of 28 instrumental and vocal works called Musicali Melodie. It includes “La Costanza,” for 2 cornetts (or violins) and trombone, “La Famosa,” for 2 cornetts (or violins) and trombone, and “La Gioia,” for 2 cornetts (or violins) and trombone (Whitwell Catalog Baroque 122; Collver 47).

1621—Venice, Italy: Stefano Bernardi, maestro di cappella at the Verona Cathedral, publishes his Madrigaletti a due et a tre voci, which includes 7 canzonas a 3 that are scored for 2 violins or cornetts, theorba or bassoon or trombone, and continuo (Collver 43).

1622—Giacinto Bondioli (1596-1636) includes 7 canzoni in his collection, Soavi fiori colti, that call for cornetto (or violin), trombone (or bassoon), and organ (Collver 44).

1622—Italy: Adriano Banchieri writes several works scored for violin, trombone, and organ: Prima Sonata, Seconda Sonata, Terza Sonata, and Quarta Sonata (Winkler 300).

1622—Venice, Italy: P.A. Mariani writes “La Guaralda,” for violin, trombone, and continuo, per il Deo Gratias (Carter, in Performer’s Guide, 131; Winkler 300).

1625—Venice, Italy: Giovanni Picchi calls for trombone frequently in his collection of sonatas and canzoni titled Canzoni da sonar con ogni sorte d’istromenti. Specifically, Canzon Terza is scored for violin and trombone, Sonata Sesta is scored for violin and trombone, Canzon Settima is scored for 2 violins and trombone, Canzon Ottavais scored for 2 violins and trombone, Canzon Duodecima is scored for 2 violins and 2 trombones, Canzon Decima Quarta is scored for 2 violins or cornetts and 4 trombones, and Canzon Decima Quinta is scored for 2 violins and 4 trombones (Winkler 301; Selfridge-Field, Instrumentation; Picchi, Canzoni da sonar; Collver 64).

1626/1641—Venice, Italy: Giovanni Rovetta publishes Salmi concertati a cinque et sei voci, which includes Canzon seconda a 3 for 2 violins (or cornetts), trombone, and continuo (Collver 67).

1628—Italy: Ottavio Maria Grandi calls for trombone in Sonata Decima Nona, a 5-voice work for violin and 4 trombones, and Sonata Vigesima, a 6-voice work for 3 violins and 3 trombones (Winkler 301).

1629—Dario Castello, Sonata quarta a 2. Sopran & Trombone overo Violetta (1629).

1629—Palermo, Italy: Bartolomeo Mont’Albano specifies trombone in a collection of his works. Specifically both Sinfonia Settima Castelletti and Sinfonia Octava Fiumicello are 3-part works scored for 2 violins and trombone (Winkler 302; Selfridge-Field, Instrumentation).

1629—Nuremberg, Germany: Numerous works from Biagio Marini’s instrumental collection, Sonate, sinfonie, canzoni, passemezzi…, specify trombone, including Canzone quarta a 4 (2 violins or cornetts, 2 trombones ad lib, basso continuo), Canzon octava (2 violins, 4 trombones), Canzone decima a 6 (2 violins or cornetts, 4 violas or trombones, basso continuo), and Sonata per l’Organo (violin or cornett, trombone ad lib, organ) (Collver 60; Selfridge-Field, Instrumentation; Winkler 301). For additional works from the same collection, see “Trombone Duets,” Trombone Quartets,” and “Trombone with Various Other Ensembles.”

1636—Giovanni Battista Buonamente uses trombones prominently in his collection, Sonate et canzoni a due, tre, quattro, cinque et a sei voci. Highlights include Canzon a 5 for 2 cornetts or violins, 3 trombones, and continuo; Sonata a 5 for violin, cornett, 3 trombones, and continuo; Sonata a 6 for violin, cornett, 3 trombones, theorbo, and continuo; and Sonata a 6 for 2 cornetts or violins, 4 trombones, and continuo (Collver 46). (Royal College of Music sackbut rep list).

1638—Orvieto, Italy: Molli calls for violino, liuto, and trombone in a collection of his works (Selfridge-Field, Instrumentation). In addition, he scores for 2 violins and trombone in Sinfonia La Liera and Sinfonia La Viviana, and he scores for 3 violins and trombone in Sinfonia L’Anguillona and Sinfonia La Ludovisia (Winkler 302).

1642—Modena, Italy: Marco Uccellini scores for trombone and violin in his 2-part Sonata Seconda La Bucefalsca (Winkler 303; Selfridge-Field, Instrumentation).

c. 1650—Antonio Bertali, Sonata a 3, No. 1 in D minor for 2 violins, trombone, and continuo. Commercial edition available (Boosey & Hawkes).

c. 1650—Antonio Bertali writes 6 Sonate a 6, which call for “2 violini o cornetti e 3 viole o tromboni col basso per l’organo” (Bertali, 13 sonate manoscritte).

c. 1650—Biagio Marini writes Sonata Duodecima a 2, Op. 8, No. 12, for trombone, violin, and continuo. (Royal College of Music sackbut rep list). Performance edition available (Kagarice Brass Ed).

1660—Modena, Italy: Marco Uccellini scores for trombone and violin in Sonata Decima Terza (Winkler 304; Selfridge-Field, Instrumentation).

1662—Germany: Andreas Oswald (also Uswalt or Ußwaldt) (1634-1665) writes numerous works that are included in the collection, Partiturbuch Ludwig. Among them is Sonata a 2 in a minor for violin, trombone or viol, and continuo.

1662—Germany: Johann Michael Nicolai’s Sonata a 2 in G for violin, trombone, and continuo is included in the Partiturbuch Ludwig.

c. 1680—Heinrich Biber, Sonata No. 3 for 2 violins, trombone, and continuo (Musica Rara).

c. 1730—Johann Joseph Fux, Sonata à 3 (E 68) for trombone, 2 violins, and basso continuo. Performance edition available (Ensemble Pub).