Trombone
Added the image below to the 17th Century (first half) timeline. Seems like the trombone’s always in the back…(see also here).
1600s—Italy: An anonymous Italian painting portrays an instrumental ensemble with diverse dress and a mixed grouping of winds, strings, and keyboard (see facing image; public domain).
Added color version of Pinturicchio’s fresco (see below) to the 16th Century Trombone History Timeline. The painting provides one of the earliest examples of trombone iconography showing the instrument in a wind band setting (called pifferi in Italy). The color version of the fresco shows the vibrancy of the painting, as well as revealing the three instruments in a little better detail than in the more common black and white reproductions.
c. 1503—Siena, Italy: Bernardino Pinturicchio includes a depiction of a trombonist in his painting, Coronation of Pius III, a fresco decorating the exterior of the Piccolomini Library in the cathedral of Siena. The trombonist is part of a trio of wind players seen performing at center-right (see facing detail and full image, below; public domain) (Jenkens 159; Cecchi 19). Documents have shown that trombone did, indeed, perform at this particular coronation (see below).
Found a really striking painting today by Felice Torelli and posted it in the 18th Century Trombone History Timeline. I have not seen this painting in any of the standard trombone or brass sources. As I note in an earlier post, the 18th century is a little late for depictions of trombonists as angels, but here’s another example. I’m still researching the artist; one source says Felice Torelli is actually the brother of composer Giuseppe Torelli, which would be an interesting bit of information, but Felice’s years (1667-1748) don’t seem quite right. At any rate, the painting definitely shows the trombone prominently, with no other instruments obviously included in the image. As far as the actual rendering, one never knows how literal artists are; as I mention in the caption, the flat stays are to be expected, but the slide appears somewhat long and the grip somewhat unorthodox. The mouthpiece, which at first glance appears to be missing, may be suggested by a small horizontal line approximately where the player’s Adam’s apple would be; a color reproduction would likely clarify.
Update: I found out that Felice Torelli is, in fact, the brother of composer/violinist Giuseppe Torelli. In fact, according to Oxford Art Online, Felice actually pursued music for a time, moving to Bologna with his older brother, Giuseppe (source: Oxford Art Online, “Torelli: (1) Felice Torelli”).
1710—Verona, Italy: Felice Torelli depicts an angel playing trombone in Immacolata Concezione, painted for the church of Sant’Orsola dei Mendicati shortly after the proclamation of the feast day of the Immaculate Conception. The image is noteworthy because no other musical instruments are depicted with the trombone. The artist includes the usual flat stays found on trombones of the time, but the slide appears to be somewhat longer than usual and the player’s grip on the instrument’s back tubing somewhat unorthodox (above; public domain image; Verona, Museo di Castelvecchio) (Chiodini).
Added the below images and caption to the Alto Trombone Timeline. It’s quite a beautiful painting. The other instruments “underfoot” are a shawm and a recorder. The trombone appears to be an alto, given its size relative to the things around it (the instruments, most importantly, but also the music and the man’s leg), although how literal the visual depiction was intended to be is always the question.
c. 1650—Italy: Swiss-born artist Pier Francesco Mola includes a trombone in his painting, Young Musician Playing a Viola da Gamba. Although it is impossible determine with certainty, the instrument may be an alto trombone, given its size relative to the surrounding instruments and music pages (see facing detail and full image, below; public domain) (Mola 161).
Added the following entry to the 18th Century Trombone History Timeline about an anonymous depiction of an angel-trombonist among other angel-musicians. With the painting mentioned in the last post, it would appear to be rare historically, being one of only a few paintings outside of the 16th and 17th centuries I’ve been able to locate that depict trombonists as angel-musicians. The trombone player, by the way, is on the far-right of the painting.
1709—Monticelli d’Ongina, Italy: The church Collegiata di San Lorenzo is refurbished in Baroque style. It is probably at this time that an anonymous artist paints a fresco in the church depicting several angel-musicians, including a trombonist. This painting, along with the painted wood ceiling in Tönning, Germany (see 1704, above), is a relatively late example of trombone being depicted among angel-musicians (see facing detail and full image, below; public domain) (Genesi).
Added 8 more primary sources to the Alto Trombone Timeline, bringing the total number of primary sources for that timeline to more than 2 dozen. The sources (Gevaert, Riemann, Jadassohn, Saro, Galli, Mayerhoff, Coon, and Corder) are 19th and early 20th century orchestration texts from a wide range of locations (Germany, Italy, Belgium, England, and the United States), all of them clearly indicating a “small” alto trombone in E-flat. The sources leave very little ambiguity in this respect, providing clear diagrams of the alto trombone range and key or alto trombone position charts. This is significant because it adds to the body of evidence suggesting the alto trombone is historically a D or E-flat instrument (on this subject, see also Extant Altos).