The Alto Trombone

1 Introduction

For three centuries the alto trombone, together with the tenor (in B♭) and the bass (in F or E♭), was part of the standard trombone section.

These instruments were of supreme importance in the orchestras of the time as they were the only chromatic brass. In the 17th and 18th centuries there were alto trombone solos in several works (religious or chamber music). In the 19th century the tenor, which had hitherto played the middle part in the section, became the main instrument. The bass too was replaced, first by the tenor-bass (a tenor with an F extension) and then by the modern bass. The alto disappeared almost completely from the musical scene and it is only in the last few years that it has begun to find its way back into the orchestra.

Until the middle of the 19th century composers usually wrote for the standard trombone section: alto, tenor and bass. Today, however, the practice in most orchestras is to use the tenor for the high parts written during that period.

The use of authentic instruments is a perilous business. Our instruments undergo constant modifications arising from technical developments and they change continuously. In France, for example, one no longer finds the narrow-bore trombones still in use as little as thirty years ago. It is regrettable that even in France French music is no longer played on the instruments it was written for (11). It is a concern for authenticity that is bringing the alto trombone back into the symphony orchestra; it enables the performer to play his part on the instrument which is closest to what the composer intended.

Recent decades have shown a tendency towards the use of large-bore instruments and larger and larger mouthpieces. Alto trombone parts played on these instruments were becoming too heavy and the necessary brilliance could be obtained only by playing them too loud, upsetting the intended balance. The upper register is more secure on the alto but the sound is also significantly different and cannot be reproduced on the tenor. A trombone section containing an alto gives more satisfactory results in the repertoire of the period in question (13).

It is true that in both choral and orchestral works larger forces are used today than was formerly the case. The modern alto trombone is thus a compromise which makes it possible to produce this special tone colour while retaining the desired balance and proportions.

Interest in the alto trombone has been increasing in recent years. Symphony orchestra trombonists are more and more interested in it, concerned as they are with authenticity and proper balance in their section. They are also attracted by the solo works.

All orchestral 1st trombonists ought to consider these facts. It is not a matter of owning an alto trombone to overcome register problems but of being able to use it effectively.

That is the point of view adopted in this article. It aims to provide practical information as well as general reference material on the subject (1, 2, 5, 8). The alto trombone in symphony and opera orchestras will be the subject of a further article (6).