UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date: 30-Sep-2008 I, Donald Scott Moore , hereby submit this original work as part of the requirements for the degree of: Doctor of Musical Arts in Trombone It is entitled: The Concerto for Bass Trombone by Thom Ritter George and the Beginning of Modern Bass Trombone Solo Performance Student Signature: Donald Scott Moore This work and its defense approved by: Committee Chair: Timothy Anderson, MM Timothy Anderson, MM Randy Gardner, BM Randy Gardner, BM Wesley Flinn Wesley Flinn 11/3/2009 244 The Concerto for Bass Trombone and Orchestra by Thom Ritter George and the Beginning of Modern Bass Trombone Solo Performance A document submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) in the Performance Studies Division of the College-Conservatory of Music by Donald Scott Moore B.S. Ed., Jacksonville State University, 1984 B.A., Jacksonville State University, 1984 M.M., University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, 1988 September, 2009 Committee Chair: Timothy Anderson ABSTRACT This paper examines the literature for bass trombone of the late 1950s and early 1960s in order to establish Thom Ritter George’s Concerto for Bass Trombone as a pivotal work that signaled an abrupt change not only in how composers regarded the instrument, but also what technical demands were expected of players. In the first portion of this paper, music of the past is examined to show that the mechanical developments of the past had a direct influence on the music written for the instrument. Due to the lack of solo material for the instrument before the 1950s, orchestral music is examined to identify perceptions commonly held by composers. Details pertaining to the development of the bass trombone traditions popular in Europe before 1900 is described in detail, as is relevant information drawn from primary sources. There follows a detailed discussion of the rapid changes made to the instrument in the twentieth century, making use of interviews with performers and instrument collectors along with standard reference works. An overview of Dr. George’s career is provided with a biography. Unfortunately, the whereabouts of Robert Braun, the bass trombonist for whom the piece was written, is unknown. The author has used a variety of sources to reconstruct the events leading to the creation of the Concerto and to determine the type of instrument used by Braun for the initial performance. There has been disagreement concerning when the double-valve bass trombone was created. This research examines various sources to show who was responsible for the creation of the instrument and determine that the instrument could not have been used for the initial performance of the George Concerto. A performance assessment is included to show how the modern enhancements to the instrument inspired the techniques used in the Concerto. In order to demonstrate the radical change of technique in the Concerto, performance assessments are included of other works composed during the late 1950s and early 1960s. This data clearly shows how the double-valve bass trombone, and especially the “independent” double-valve bass trombone, makes the Concerto far easier to perform. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Much appreciation is given to Prof. Timothy Anderson, Professor of Trombone at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Prof. Anderson served as my advisor for this project. Other committee members include Prof. Randy Gardner, Professor of Horn at the Conservatory, and Prof. J. Wesley Flinn, Director of Theory and Composition at Clayton State University Department of Music. Their expertise in assisting me with the writing and research of this document proved indispensable. My colleagues at Gustavus Adolphus College were extremely patient and supportive of me while I worked on this paper. In particular I would like to thank Douglas Nimmo, David Fienen, Mariangela Maguire and Ann Pesavento, who offered advice, encouragement, and afforded me time to complete my research. Most of all I would like to thank my wife, Brenda, for her overwhelming support and help in keeping me on task throughout the writing of this document. My daughters, Christina and Lillian, also deserve my gratitude for allowing their dad to spend so much time at the keyboard. CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES.....................................................................................................….....2 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.......................................................................................…...3 CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................….6 II. THE MUSICAL LEGACY OF TROMBONE INSTRUMENT INNOVATION...13 III. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODERN TENOR-BASS TROMBONE…....25 IV. A BIOGRAPHY OF THOM RITTER GEORGE…………………….............…..46 V. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CONCERTO FOR BASS TROMBONE, CN 176……………………………………………………………………....51 VI. THE INSTRUMENT USED IN THE PREMIERE PERFORMANCE OF THE CONCERTO FOR BASS TROMBONE AND ORCHESTRA ………………...62 VII. A PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF THE CONCERTO FOR BASS TROMBONE AND COMPARISONS TO SEVERAL WORKS COMPOSED BETWEEN 1956 AND 1964 …………………….………………………….65 VII. CONCLUSION………………………….………………………………………..77 BIBLIOGRAPHY.....................................................................................................……..79 APPENDIX I. AN INTERVIEW WITH THOM RITTER GEORGE……………………………….82 1 TABLES Table Page 1. Range of motion, Thom Ritter George, Concerto for Bass Trombone measures 22-27………………………………………………………………………9 2. Range of motion, Patrick McCarty, Sonata for Bass Trombone, measures 65-74…………………………………………………………………...….10 3. Relative position location with valves as compared to the seven natural trombone slide positions………………………………………………………………………..66 4. Range of motion, Thom Ritter George Concerto for Bass Trombone, measures 20-43………………………………………………………………………67 5. Range of motion, Thom Ritter George Concerto for Bass Trombone, measures 20-43………………………………………………………………………68 6. Range of motion, Thom Ritter George Concerto for Bass Trombone, measures 69-86………………………………………………………………………69 7. Range of motion, Robert Spillman Concerto, measures 1-12…………………………….69 8. Range of motion, Robert Spillman Concerto, measures 60-68, 78-80, and 97-104…………………………………………………………………………...69 9. Range of motion, Patrick McCarty Sonata for Bass Trombone, measures 65-83……………………………………………………………………....70 10. Range of Motion, McCarty, Sonata for Bass Trombone, measures 164-188...………….71 11.: Range of motion, Robert Bariller, Hans de Schnokeloch, measures 23-31, 65-68, 72-76, 78-80, and 142-146…………………………………………………...73 12. Range of motion, Eugène Bozza, New Orleans, selected measures from rehearsal 11 to 15…………………………………………………………………….74 2 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. The Single, Dependent, and Independent valve arrangements………...……………….8 2. Thom Ritter George, Concerto for Bass Trombone measures 22-27………………..…9 3. Patrick McCarty, Sonata for Bass Trombone, measures 65-74, third movement……..10 4. George Concerto, measures 76-78 (top) and 84-86 (bottom)…………….…………...11 5. Nicholas Eastop demonstrating the Oller BBb Contra Bass Trombone….…………...13 6. Detail from Micheal Pretorious’ Syntagma musicum (Venice, 1615-1619), showing the alto, tenor, quartbass and quintbass sackbutts………….…………...14 7. The Harmonic Series………………………………………………………………….15 8. Franz Joseph Haydn, The Creation, No. 28, tenor trombone after letter H…………..16 9. : The Stölzel-Blühmel Valve…………………………………………………………..17 10. The Périnet Valve……………………………………………………………………18 11. The Riedl, or Rotary Valve……………………………………………….………….18 12. Gioachino Rossini, Guillaume Tell, Overture…..………………………….………..21 13. Giuseppe Verdi, La Forza del Destino, Overture…………………………….……..22 14. Antonin Dvo!ák, Symphony No. 8. The first trombone part, measures 356-363…...23 15. The range of the F-Bass Trombone and the Tenor-Bass Trombone………….….….26 16. Slide position placement for the tenor-bass trombone with F-attachment…….…....27 17. Notes available in each slide position for the tenor trombone and the additional notes playable on the tenor-bass trombone with F-attachment….…...28 18. Giuseppe Verdi, excerpt from La Forza del Destino, Overture. The positions available on the tenor trombone without F-attachment and the alternate positions playable on the tenor-bass trombone with attachment….…….……….29 3 19. Béla Bartók, Dance Suite (1923), fourth movement, measures 50-54………….…...29 20. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Symphony No. 1, fourth movement, measures 407-413………………………………………………………………...30 21. Jake Burkle…………………………………………………………………………..33 22. The 70H “Fuchs” model bass trombone……………………………………………..36 23. The 60H model bass trombone……………………………………………………...37 24. The Bartok Glissando………………………………………………………………..38 25. Detail of the 70H “Fuchs” model bass trombone……….…………………………..39 26. The Reynolds 78-X Contempora Bass Trombone…………………………………...40 27. Detail of the Holton 169 Bass Trombone …………………………………………...41 28. Positions for both F and D valves together……………………………………….….41 29. A bass trombone with an independent valve arrangement……………………….…..42 30. The notes available with the second valve and three positions capable of producing C3 on an independent-valve bass trombone………………………......43 31. The patent drawings for the Thayer valve……….……………………………….….44 32. Thom Ritter George……………………………………………………………….....50 33. Thom Ritter George Concerto, measures 20-27………………………………….….56 34. Thom Ritter George Concerto,