The Trombone and its Music in the Seventeenth and Nineteenth Centuries: An Introduction

Most standard reference works on musical instruments have little or nothing to say about the trombone in the eighteenth century. Perhaps the explanation for this neglect lies in the fact that the use of the trombone was at once less extensive and less conspicuous than in either the seventeenth or nineteenth centuries. Unfortunately, the omission gives two false impressions: that the trombone was not used in a musically important way in the eighteenth century, and that there were no important changes in its appearance, reputation, function, or repertoire. In fact, all of these aspects changed greatly by the end of the century, and nearly every important composer called for trombone at least occasionally.