Cello pieces on trombone
- u_2ndTrom
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Mar 02, 2025
I took some months off playing trombone, and picked it up again today. I'm also studying cello, and on the music stand was a copy of one of Vivaldi's cello concerto, the duo cello concerto, which I'd been working on earlier.
I looked at it and thought, most of that looks - actually - relatively easy on the trombone. All I need to do is jump from g 4th position, up to g 4th position, then drop back to f# and then it's a straight climb up from b flat to e flat, all within my experience.
How many other trombonists have taken cello pieces and made use of them this way? (I'm aware of the Bach Cellos suites being played by trombone; it wouldn't surprise me at all to find them being played on the harmonica! :) )
I looked at it and thought, most of that looks - actually - relatively easy on the trombone. All I need to do is jump from g 4th position, up to g 4th position, then drop back to f# and then it's a straight climb up from b flat to e flat, all within my experience.
How many other trombonists have taken cello pieces and made use of them this way? (I'm aware of the Bach Cellos suites being played by trombone; it wouldn't surprise me at all to find them being played on the harmonica! :) )
- hyperbolica
- Posts: 3990
- Joined: Mar 23, 2018
Bach cello suites, Telemann flute fantasies, Mozart bassoon concerto, Top Tones for Trumpet, Rochut vocalises, we trombonist exist on the best stuff from the world around us. Good music is good music. Sometimes it has to be adjusted to fit trombonist taste, like the cello suites were transposed up a 4th by LaFosse to fit the tenor trombone better. There's no crime in that. All of these present different challenges on bone than on the original instrument.
- CheeseTray
- Posts: 115
- Joined: Apr 21, 2018
Vivaldi's Six Cello Sonatas are excellent and very playable
- LeTromboniste
- Posts: 1634
- Joined: Apr 11, 2018
Lots of older cello repertoire works well on trombone. I'm all for playing it.
I do think however that it's a shame that the typical repertoire played by modern trombonists includes so many of these baroque cello pieces (and bassoon pieces), yet completely ignores the extremely rich baroque repertoire that is actually written for our instrument, or likely to have historically been performed on trombone. Every trombonist I know has played several pieces by Telemann, Marcello, Albinoni, Hasse, Gaillard throughout their studies. How many modern trombone player have I heard playing Rognoni, Cesare, Bassano, Frescobaldi, Castello, Bertali, etc.? Or any of the dozens of pieces for solo voices with solo trombone from the 18th century? I think I can count that on the fingers of one hand.
I do think however that it's a shame that the typical repertoire played by modern trombonists includes so many of these baroque cello pieces (and bassoon pieces), yet completely ignores the extremely rich baroque repertoire that is actually written for our instrument, or likely to have historically been performed on trombone. Every trombonist I know has played several pieces by Telemann, Marcello, Albinoni, Hasse, Gaillard throughout their studies. How many modern trombone player have I heard playing Rognoni, Cesare, Bassano, Frescobaldi, Castello, Bertali, etc.? Or any of the dozens of pieces for solo voices with solo trombone from the 18th century? I think I can count that on the fingers of one hand.
- Posaunus
- Posts: 5018
- Joined: Mar 23, 2018
[quote="LeTromboniste"]How many modern trombone player have I heard playing Rognoni, Cesare, Bassano, Frescobaldi, Castello, Bertali, etc.? Or any of the dozens of pieces for solo voices with solo trombone from the 18th century?[/quote]
Thanks Maximilien. Is the sheet music (or PDFs) for these readily available?
Thanks Maximilien. Is the sheet music (or PDFs) for these readily available?
- Kdanielsen
- Posts: 609
- Joined: Jul 28, 2019
[quote="LeTromboniste"]Lots of older cello repertoire works well on trombone. I'm all for playing it.
I do think however that it's a shame that the typical repertoire played by modern trombonists includes so many of these baroque cello pieces (and bassoon pieces), yet completely ignores the extremely rich baroque repertoire that is actually written for our instrument, or likely to have historically been performed on trombone. Every trombonist I know has played several pieces by Telemann, Marcello, Albinoni, Hasse, Gaillard throughout their studies. How many modern trombone player have I heard playing Rognoni, Cesare, Bassano, Frescobaldi, Castello, Bertali, etc.? Or any of the dozens of pieces for solo voices with solo trombone from the 18th century? I think I can count that on the fingers of one hand.[/quote]
I am exactly what you just described. Would you be willing to offer a slightly more detailed list? I'd love to learn more about this.
I do think however that it's a shame that the typical repertoire played by modern trombonists includes so many of these baroque cello pieces (and bassoon pieces), yet completely ignores the extremely rich baroque repertoire that is actually written for our instrument, or likely to have historically been performed on trombone. Every trombonist I know has played several pieces by Telemann, Marcello, Albinoni, Hasse, Gaillard throughout their studies. How many modern trombone player have I heard playing Rognoni, Cesare, Bassano, Frescobaldi, Castello, Bertali, etc.? Or any of the dozens of pieces for solo voices with solo trombone from the 18th century? I think I can count that on the fingers of one hand.[/quote]
I am exactly what you just described. Would you be willing to offer a slightly more detailed list? I'd love to learn more about this.
- LeTromboniste
- Posts: 1634
- Joined: Apr 11, 2018
[quote="Posaunus"]Thanks Maximilien. Is the sheet music (or PDFs) for these readily available?[/quote]
Yes, a ton available in modern print, a lot of it for free on IMSLP (both original material and modern editions), and a lot also professional editions for sale.
[quote="Kdanielsen"]I am exactly what you just described. Would you be willing to offer a slightly more detailed list? I'd love to learn more about this.[/quote]
I don't want to derail this thread about cello pieces further, I will make a separate thread with a list of suggestions.
Yes, a ton available in modern print, a lot of it for free on IMSLP (both original material and modern editions), and a lot also professional editions for sale.
[quote="Kdanielsen"]I am exactly what you just described. Would you be willing to offer a slightly more detailed list? I'd love to learn more about this.[/quote]
I don't want to derail this thread about cello pieces further, I will make a separate thread with a list of suggestions.
- Sesquitone
- Posts: 291
- Joined: Apr 25, 2022
[quote="CheeseTray"]Vivaldi's Six Cello Sonatas are excellent and very playable[/quote]
Also, the Six Marcello Cello Sonatas work well for trombone.
Evidently, Vivaldi wrote at least four more (for cello and continuo) than the six published in the well-known Paris collection. There's actually a publication of twelve—perhaps some 're-set' from other works.
.
Also, the Six Marcello Cello Sonatas work well for trombone.
Evidently, Vivaldi wrote at least four more (for cello and continuo) than the six published in the well-known Paris collection. There's actually a publication of twelve—perhaps some 're-set' from other works.
.
- LeTromboniste
- Posts: 1634
- Joined: Apr 11, 2018
For those who expressed interest, I posted my list of suggested early repertoire in [url=https://trombonechat.com/viewtopic.php?t=42613]another thread in the Teaching and Learning subforum.