Concertino for Trombone by Ferdinand David, pub. Carl Fischer

Ferdinand David (1810-1873 and pronounced da-VEED) was one of the first romantic composers to write idiomatically for the trombone, exploring various aspects of the instruments character in a concerto format. (Other compositions include symphonies, five violin concerti, an opera and numerous chamber works.) David was a German virtuoso violinist and composer, whose name is inextricably linked with that of his more famous musical friend, Felix Mendelssohn. David and Mendelssohn met in Leipzig where David served as concert master of

the Gewandhaus Orchestra and later as professor of violin at the Liepziger Konservatorium. It was at Mendelssohn’s request that David penned the

Concertino for Trombone.

The Concertino for Trombone is filled with the finest elements of the German Romantic period, combining rhythmical motifs characteristic of Beethoven with the lyricism of Mendelssohn. Skillfully interwoven into the composition is music that enables the trombonist to portray a broad range of expressive styles, from pure brassy bravado to soft, lyrical singing. From the outset, the first movement displays the giant expressive range of the trombone, alternating from flashy technical passages to sweet lyrical phrases. A short, operatic recitative brings the movement to a close, leading without pause into the second movement, subtitled funeral march. In the words of one commentator, “the soloist [in the second movement] seems to be playing the part of the eulogist, contrasting deep despair with fond remembrances.” The third movement, also begun without a pause between it and the previous movement, recalls material presented in the first movement, coupled with further development. A flashy, triumphant coda brings the work to a