Augsburg, second only to Trier among Germany’s oldest cities, has been the site of considerable trombone activity since the trombone’s beginnings in the 15th century. A painting of the Augsburg Cathedral that I recently added to the Trombone History Timeline…
dance images
Melody for 200 Trombones: Caricatures by J.J. Grandville
I recently added some images by J. J. Grandville (1803-1847; original name: Jean-Ignace-Isidore Gérard), a famous French caricaturist who frequently portrays musical subjects, to the 19th century timeline (1st half). The four Grandville images that include trombone, shown below, represent…
2 French Rear-facing Trombones
Added the following 2 entries to the Trombone History Timeline: 19th century (first half). Iconography seems to suggest that the rear-facing trombone was quite common in the early 19th century. It’s noteworthy, also, that they’re both depictions of dances (see…
Trombone and the Dance, Part II
Last week I posted Early Trombone and the Dance, focusing on the dance role of the alta capella, of which the trombone was a regular member. This follow-up post deals with the trombone and dance in more recent trombone history. Once…
Early Trombone and the Dance
I recently found the below video, showing a number of different dances in which the trombone serves as a member of what is commonly called the alta capella. Below the video I have added a selection of entries and pictures…
Headed Backward: Historical Images of Rear-Facing Trombones
I have recently added three more images to the Trombone History Timeline that feature rear-facing trombones. These trombones have sometimes been called over-the-shoulder instruments, a term that works for other brass instruments but is somewhat lacking for trombones: aren’t all…
Trombone History: Two Curious Images
Recently I came across an interesting image from the early 16th century that features an instrument bearing something of a resemblance to a trombone. Titled Dances in the Open Air, the painting, by Hans Dürer (brother of the more famous…