1898—Milan, Italy

Amintore Galli, professor at the Milan Conservatory, writes his orchestration text, Strumenti e Strumentazione, in which he describes an alto trombone in E-flat (trombone contralto), explaining that the instrument is comparable mechanically to the tenor trombone, and showing the instrument’s pitch range (see below image; public domain). He also comments, “In the orchestra, three trombones are used in chorus, in full harmony and sometimes majestic drawn melodies, especially the alto trombone and tenor trombone” (Galli 107-108).

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