1700s—the horn developed as an instrument capable of musical expression, rather than as a utilitarian or novelty instrument. 

1700s—Spain: 18th Century Spanish Caricature School, 3 Musicians (see below; public domain).

Early 1700s—The trumpet developed as a virtuosic instrument during the first half of the 18th century, reaching its peak in the compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach, originally written for trumpet virtuoso Gottgried Reiche. This clarino technique used the extreme upper register of the trumpet, often in a soloistic capacity.

1700s—Dutch school, twee mannen met een jachthoorn (see below; public domain).

1700—Netherlands: Willem van Mieris (Dutch, 1662-1747), The Trumpeter (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden). See below; public domain.

1700—Leipzig, Germany: Bach’s predecessor, Johann Kuhnau, writes, “What do the angels, those heavenly and most perfect musicanti play other than these? For if we encounter something about music in the Scriptures, we hear either of a trumpet or a trombone” (Kuhnau 28).

c. 1700—Camaldoli, Italy: A painting in the Camaldoli Monastery by an unknown artist depicts an angel playing trombone (source: Catalogo generale dei Beni Culturali). See below; public domain.

c. 1700-1710—A Viennese instrument maker, Michael Leichnambschneider, began to put terminal crooks on horns in order to play them in different keys. During this time horns were performed mostly in the upper portion of the overtone series and were played without the hand in the bell.

1701—Lauffen am Neckar, Germany: The organ housing at the evangelische Kirche St. Regiswindis includes 2 sculptures of angel-trombonists, the angels apparently playing one-handed (see below detail; public domain) (Völkl 50).

1701—Salzburg, Austria: Heinrich Biber uses trumpets soloistically and trombones to double voices in his Missa St. Henrici(Cameron 81).

1704—Tönning, Germany: A painted ceiling by Barthold Conrath at the Church of St. Lawrence depicts a group of angels playing brass instruments and percussion, including a jubilant angel-trombonist (see below image; public domain) (Bowles, The Timpani 167).

1704—Vienna, Austria: Johann Joseph Fux’s Te Deum, K 271, utilizes brass:

1705—Hamburg, Germany: Reinhard Keiser may have been the first composer to call for the horn with the orchestra in his 1705 opera Octavia.

1705—Vienna, Austria: Marc’ Antonio Ziani writes the solo motet Alma Redemptoris Mater. Scored for 2 trombones, bassoon, alto voice, and continuo, it includes numerous solo passages for trombone (Wigness 26).

1707—Vienna, Austria: Marc’ Antonio Ziani’s aria, “Non é giunta” from Il Sacrifizio d’Isacco, features solo tenor voice with trombone obbligato (Carter, Trombone Obbligatos). The voice in the below recording is soprano rather than tenor.

1708—Netherlands: Willem van Mieris, The Trumpeter (Museum De Lakenhal, Netherlands). See below; public domain.

c. 1710—Stuttgart, Germany: Johann Georg Christian Störl writes 6 sonatas for cornett and 3 trombones (Collver 70).

c. 1715—England: Michael Dahl (or in his style), Portrait of a Trumpeter in Livery (called “Valentine Snow, 1685–1759, Sergeant Trumpeter”). See below; public domain.

c. 1716—Johann Joseph Fux calls for trombone, violin, cornetto, and bassoon in his Sonata a 4, K. 347 (Collver 50).

1717—London: Georg Frederic Handel added two horns to Water Music. 

1717—Vienna, Austria: Antonio Caldara’s aria, “Quell’amor” from Santa Ferma, features soprano voice and obbligato alto trombone (Carter, Trombone Obbligatos).

1717—Sorau, Poland: Georg Philipp Telemann calls for cornetts and trombones in his Erhöre mich, wenn ich rufe (Collver 178).

c. 1718—Vienna, Austria: Johann Joseph Fux, a leading composer at the Imperial Court, writes Sonata a Quattro. Scored for violin, cornetto, trombone, bassoon, and organ, it is an early example of the virtuosic use of trombone in a chamber music setting (Wigness 14).

1718—Vienna, Austria: Johann Joseph Fux’s aria, “Dal limbo” from Cristo nell’orto, features obbligato alto trombone and is scored for alto voice, alto trombone, and 2 violins (Carter, Trombone Obbligatos).

1719—Sorau, Poland: Georg Philipp Telemann utilizes cornetto and trombone in his Jesu, wirst du bald erscheinen (Collver 178).

c. 1720—Italy: Giovanni Domenico Lombardi (1682-1751), Allegoria della Musica (see below; public domain).

c. 1720—Augsburg, Germany: An engraving by Martin Engelbrecht titled Trompeten, Paucken, Posaunen depicts men playing trumpet and kettledrums, with trombone on nearby table. The text below the picture says, “Here one demonstrates music for devotion, pleasure and dancing for various types of musical instruments…Music about men and horses can only be satisfied by fighting. Trumpets, timpani, muskets, Barthaune! They make the right sound together. On the other hand, zinken and trombones [posaunen] are needed always in peacetime, as well as in sorrow and times of joy whenever music is well presented” (see below image; public domain) (Naylor 100, 197).

1721—Hamburg, Germany: Telemann calls for cornetto and trombone in his Sehet an die Exempel der Alten (Collver 178).

c. 1722—Nuremberg, Germany: Johann Christoph Weigel depicts a trombonist in an engraving in Musicalishes Theatrum (see below; public domain).

c. 1722—Nuremberg, Germany: Johann Christoph Weigel (1661-1726), illustration of a trumpeter from Musicalisches Theatrum (see below; public domain).

c. 1722—Nuremberg, Germany: Johann Christoph Weigel depicts a cornettist in an engraving in Musicalishes Theatrum (see below; public domain).

c. 1722—Nuremberg, Germany: Johann Christoph Weigel (1661-1726), illustration of a hornist from Musicalisches Theatrum (see below; public domain).

1722—Vienna, Austria: Antonio Caldara’s aria, “Quando amato” from Il Ré del dolore, features tenor voice with alto trombone obbligato (Carter, Trombone Obbligatos; Selfridge-Field, Caldara 138).

1722-23—Italy: 4 Illustrations from Filippo Bonanni’s Gabinetto Armonico, published in 1723. Engravings by Arnold van Westerhout (see below; public domain).

1723—Vienna, Austria: Francesco Conti’s aria, “Fuggo d’una in altra selva” from Il David perseguitato, features alto voice with alto trombone obbligato (Carter, Trombone Obbligatos).

1723—Vienna, Austria: Giuseppe Porsile’s aria, “La sovrana eterna” from Il trionfo di Giuditta, features alto voice with alto trombone obbligato (Carter, Trombone Obbligatos).

1723—Leipzig, Germany: J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 25 utilizes trombones in an independent, non-doubling manner: 3 trombones and a cornett play an independent chorale (mvts 1, 6).

1724—Leipzig, Germany: J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 38 utilizes 4 trombones to double vocal lines (mvts 1, 6).

1724—Vienna, Austria: Antonio Caldara’s arias, “Deh scogliere” and “Languire, morire” from Morte, e sepoltura di Christo, feature obbligato alto trombone with solo voice (Carter, Trombone Obbligatos).

1724—Leipzig, Germany: J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 38 utilizes 4 trombones to double vocal lines (mvts 1, 6).

1724—Leipzig, Germany: J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 101 utilizes 3 trombones to double vocal lines (mvts 1, 7).

1725—Leipzig, Germany: Bach’s Cantata No. 4 utilizes 3 trombones to double vocal lines (mvts 2, 3, 8).

1725—Leipzig, Germany: J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 28 utilizes 3 trombones to double choral parts (mvts 2, 6).

1725—Leipzig, Germany: J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 68 utilizes 3 trombones to double choral parts.

1725-30—Vienna, Austria: A fresco by Johann Michael Rottmayr in Karlskirche (St. Charles’s Church) includes angels playing cornetto and trombone (see detail and full image below; public domain) (special thanks to Kellyn Haley).

1726—Germany: Elias Gottlob Haussmann, Portrait of Gottfried Reiche. Famous trumpet player and composer. Bach’s chief trumpeter at Leipzig. Reiche holds a coiled natural trumpet, a Jägertrompete, trans. hunting trumpet. The music he holds in his other hand is a short Abblasen or fanfare (see below; public domain).

1726—Vienna, Austria: Antonio Caldara’s aria, “Cosí a fiume” from Joaz, features solo alto voice with alto trombone obbligato (Carter, Trombone Obbligatos).

c. 1728—Vienna, Austria: Johann Joseph Fux composes the antiphon Alma Redemptoris for soprano voice and trombone. It contains one of the longest and most elaborate solos in a vocal work in the early trombone literature. The full score includes trombone, 2 violins, soprano voice, and continuo (Wigness 28).

c. 1730—Melk, Austria: A fresco in the cupola of the Stiftskirche (Abbey Church) includes angels playing cornetto and trombone (see below image; public domain) (special thanks to Bruce Dickey).

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

1730—Vienna, Austria: Antonio Caldara uses alto trombone as an obbligato instrument with soprano voice in “Dovunque il guardo” of his oratorio, La passione di Gesu Cristo (Selfridge-Field, Caldara 138; Carter, Trombone Obbligatos).

1732—Vienna, Austria: Pietro Casati, Salve Regina. 

1738—Handel uses trombones in 2 oratorios, Saul (in 4 choruses and 4 instrumental movements) and Israel in Egypt (in 10 choruses). Anthony Baines later calls the trombone parts in Saul the finest in the 18th century (Guion, Trombone 144).

c. 1730-50-Augsburg, Germany: Trumpet maker and trumpet maker’s wife, dressed with the musical instruments and tools of the trade. Hand-coloured etching and engraving (British Museum). See below 2 images; public domain.

c. 1735—Horn players of the Venetian ambassador Zaccaria Canale (fl. 1735), Pier Leone Ghezzi (1674-1755). Source: horniconography.com. See below; public domain.

1736—Germany: Johann Franz Hörmannsperger, A Ball (detail). See below; public domain.

1740—Dublin, Ireland: Portrait of George Hendrick (fl.1740; alias Crazy Crow), porter to the Playhouse in Dublin, who earned extra money by carrying instruments of the musicians to and from the theatre (see below; public domain).

1742—Bologna, Italy: A miniature from Le Insignia degli Anziani Consoli (vol. XIII, c. 156, 1742) depicts a reception in honor of Carlo Emanuele III of Sardinia in the Palazzo d’Accursio’s Galleria degli Anziani. Among the instruments pictured in the orchestra is a trombone (see detail below; public domain) (Bologna Archivio di Stato; special thanks to John Manganaro, horniconography.com).

1742—Vienna, Austria: Franz Ignaz Tuma, Sonata a 2 violini e 2 tromboni.

1746—France: Recalling the Pack, a tapestry by Jean Baptiste Oudry (see below; public domain).

c. 1748—Wilhering, Austria: Decorations surrounding the organ in Wilhering Abbey feature a trophy of musical instruments that includes both a trombone and a cornetto (see detail below; public domain).

c. 1750—Detail from Klauber Cath[olicus] after a drawing by Johann Wolffgang Baumgartner (1712-1761). See below; public domain.

c. 1750—Italy: Circle Francesco Zuccarelli 1702–1788, Study of Angel Gabriel Blowing a Horn (see below; public domain).

c. 1750, a hornist in Dresden, Germany developed techniques for hand stopping that allowed for chromatic playing of the horn in the lower register, and this soon became a standard practice for horn players. 

Mid-1700s—solo pieces for alto trombone were written by Christoph Wagenseil, Johann Albrechtsberger, Michael Haydn, and Leopold Mozart. 

1750—By the second half of the 18th century, tastes for virtuosic trumpet technique changed, leading to a decline in the virtuosic use of the trumpet in ensemble music during the Classical period.

1751—Bamberg, Germany: The pulpit at Michaelskirche, Kloster Michelsberg, is designed in Rococo style by sculptor Georg Adam Reuß and includes a putto holding a trombone (see detail and full image below).

1754—Einsiedeln, Switzerland: The choir organ in Einsiedeln Abbey church is built. It is probably at this time that the organ is decorated as well, including a cherub holding a trombone (see detail below; photo courtesy of Lukasz Michalski).

c. 1755—Vienna, Austria: Georg Wagenseil, court composer at the Imperial Court, writes Concerto for alto trombone (Wigness 19).

c. 1755—A drawing possibly by James Vertue (died 1765) portrays a music party (Foundling Museum, UK). See below; public domain.

1758—Nuremberg, Germany: Leonhard Christoph Stanger (c. 1697-1767), tower musician in Nuremberg. Stanger worked as a watchman on three towers: Outer Laufer Tower, Inner Laufer Tower and Frauenturm (see below, public domain).

1759—Probably Paris, France: Louis-Gabriel Blanchet, presumed portrait of Jean-Joseph Rodolphe, a professor at Paris Conservatory who was probably the first in Paris to use the technique of hand stopping (see below; public domain).

1760—By this date, the clarino style of trumpet playing began to decline in part due to changes of musical tastes and compositional styles.

c. 1760—In Vienna, Georg Christoph Wagenseil writes “Memoriam” (from Confitebor) for alto trombone, alto voice, and orchestra (Wagenseil).

c. 1760—Bologna, Italt: Anonymous, Portrait of Luigi Brizzi, Italian horn player (1737-1815).

1762—The first major horn concerto was written by Franz Joseph Haydn using the chromatic practice.

1762—Leopold Mozart, Concerto for alto trombone or viola (part of larger Serenata).

c. 1763—Michael Haydn composes Larghetto for alto trombone as part of his incomplete Sinfonia No. 4. The full title for the trombone movement is “Larghetto a Trombone Concerto” (Guion, Trombone 140). It is possibly written for Salzburg trombonist Thomas Gshlatt (Donley Thomas).

1764—Johann Conrad Seekatz (1719-1768), Tanz auf der Dorfstraße (Dance on the Village Street). See detail and full image below; public domain.

1764—Michael Haydn, Concerto for alto trombone (part of larger Divertimento).

1767—Paris, France: Diderot, Encyclopédie, ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, vol. 4 (see below; public domain).

1767—In Salzburg, Michael Haydn writes Concertino in D, a double-concerto for alto trombone, horn, and orchestra (Haydn).

1767—Salzburg, Austria: The skeptical Archbishop locks 11-year-old Mozart in a room by himself to see if he can really compose without help from his father. Mozart writes the cantata Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots, K 35, which uses solo alto trombone in Christ’s aria, “Jener Donnerworte Kraft” (for tenor voice, alto trombone, and strings).

1767—Vienna, Austria: Gluck writes for the traditional trio of alto, tenor, and bass trombone to evoke associations of ecclesiastical/supernatural in oracle scene of opera Alceste. The overture features relatively independent trombone parts and 3rd act features prominent obbligato for alto trombone.

1768—Mozart’s Missa solemnis: “Waisenhauskirche Mass” uses trombones prominently, including an unaccompanied trombone trio opening to the “Agnus Dei” (Guion, Trombone 139).

1769—Leipzig, Germany: Johann Friedrich Doles, J. S. Bach’s second successor in the Leipzig Cantorate, holds an audition for a vacancy in the Stadtpfeifer. He requires the 2 finalists to play a concerto for horn, oboe, or flute; the violin part of a trio; a concerted chorale on slide trumpet and bass viol; and a chorale on soprano, alto, tenor, and bass trombones” (Guion, Trombone 154). Regarding one of the candidates, the examiner writes, “He cannot manage the concerted Choral on the Zugtrompete, and has to do the best he can on an alto trombone.” Of the other he writes, “He played the simple Choral well on the discant, alto, tenor, and bass trombones” (Terry 36; Bate 230).

1769—Vienna, Austria: Johann Georg Albrechtsberger writes Concerto for alto trombone (Wigness 22).

c. 1770—The keyed trumpet was developed by Viennese trumpeter, Anton Weidinger, to allow for chromatic performance on trumpet. While this instrument was short lived due to problems in tone consistency, it opened the possibility of the trumpet to be used as a chromatic solo instrument, leading to its first major concertos by Franz Joseph Haydn in 1796 and Johann Nepomuk Hummel in 1803.

1770-1799—England: British School, A Young Coachman. Identified as John Hanby, Servant to John Meller, (National Trust Erddig, Wrexham, Wales).

1770—Germany: Leopold August Abel, The Musicians at the Ducal Chapel of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (see below; public domain). Ludwigslust,

1776—Abraham Delfos paints Veertiende slede, which includes a pair of horn players (see below; public domain).

1777—London, England: Matthias Darly (c.1720-1778), Royal Music or Wind Harmony (see below; public domain).

1779-1781—London, England: Johann Zoffany’s portrait of the Sharp family, a musical family that holds regular concerts in London and on board their sailing barge, includes James Sharp holding a serpent (see below image; click picture for large image; public domain) (source: National Portrait Gallery, London).

c. 1780—Italy: Scena allegorica Olio su tavola a fondo oro, attributed to Crescenzo Gamba (Italian, 1749). The painting Includes a conch, animal horn, and straight trumpet, all in the same painting (see below; public domain).

1781—Vienna, Austria: Mozart’s Idomeneo utilizes trombones in the famous oracle scene, accompanying the offstage voice of Neptune (Act III Scene 10). Mozart had written to his father, “The accompaniment to the subterranean voice consists of five instruments only, that is, three trombones and two French horns, which are placed in the same quarter as that from which the voice proceeds. At this point the whole orchestra is silent” (Anderson, Letters 703). This orchestration apparently led to a disagreement with Count Seeau, intendant of the court opera at Mannheim, about the extra expense of including trombones; Mozart writes, “In addition to many other minor rows with Count Seeau I have had a desperate fight with him about the trombones. I call it a desperate fight, because I had to be rude to him, or I should never have got my way” (Anderson, Letters 706). Interestingly, there is a version in which perhaps Mozart does not get his way: a Munich performing score includes only pairs of horns, clarinets, and bassoons, with no trombones (McClelland, Ombra 79).

1788—instrument maker Charles Clagget achieved a patent for a chromatic trumpet, which consisted of two instruments with different fundamentals and a switching mechanism to direct the single mouthpiece to one side or another. This instrument did not achieve much acceptance, however.

1789—Paris, France: An image labeled Le Concert features a serpent performing with trio (see below image; public domain) (French National Library).

c. 1790—Paris, France: Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin (French, 1759-1832), portrait of Frédéric Duvernoy (1765-1838), famous horn soloist at the Paris Opéra. Duvernoy wears the badge of the Royal French Order of the Legion of Honour and the médaille de la fidélité (see below; public domain).

c. 1790—Paris, France: Anonymous portrait of hornist Frédéric Nicolas Duvernoy (1765-1838). Duvernoy is hornist at Orchestre de la Comédie italienne, then Orchestre de la Garde Nationale and later, in 1795, becames professor of horn at the Paris Conservatoire (see below; public domain).

c. 1790—London, England: An engraving depicts a regiment of Foot Guards in front of St. James’s Palace. Included among the soldier-musicians is a serpent player (see below detail; public domain; Strachan, British Military Uniforms, pl. 27) (Scottish United Services Museum).

Late 1700s—With the sacred associations of the trombone from the previous century it was natural for composers to utilize trombones to help portray religious or supernatural effects in operas. Two of the most easily recognizable examples of this were in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute.

Late 1700s—Developments in brass instruments starting in the late 1700s allow greater ease of chromatic manipulation and expressive performance.

1781-1854—Amsterdam, Netherlands: Military Music, a catchpenny print produced by Erve H. Rijnders, includes a rear-facing trombone, serpent, and horn (see below detail; public domain) (Catchpenny Prints of the Dutch Royal Library).

1791—Italy: Luigi Caruso (1754-1822), Te Deum laudamus à quattro voci con piu strumenti obbligati (see below; public domain).

1795—Ernst Altenburg wrote a treatise on natural and clarino trumpet playing called Trumpeter’s and Kettledrummer’s Art.

1796—First major trumpet concerto by Franz Joseph Haydn. Written for the Viennese trumpet player Anton Weidinger.

1800—Beethoven wrote his Horn Sonata, Op. 17 for Giovanni Punto

Late 18th-early 19th century—Paris, France: Un tromboniste, a portrait by Henri-François Riesener, features a musician with a rear-facing trombone (see below image; public domain; Detroit Institute of Arts). Special thanks to Tassos Dimitriadis.