[Trombone-l] Bartok gliss question revisited

[Dennis Clason]

I haven't seen any of the methods from that era.  I have a copy of the 
Rubank Advanced from the 50s that discusses the F-attachment and notes 
that there are only 6 positions on the F-side.  I read somewhere that in 
Hungary at the time the straight F bass was still in use.

CfO was written on commission for the BSO under Koussevitsky.  If my 
memory is working correctly, I think John Coffey was the first bass 
trombonist confronted by that gliss. 

Actually, as far as the Bartok trombone goes, it might actually be 
useful in some other situations.  For example, the low C is nearly off 
the slide on most instruments.  If you need that note solid and you 
don't want a double valve instrument, you have to pull to E.  If you had 
the Bartok instrument you get the E-pull on your finger -- and you can 
return the valve to F while playing.  Pretty convenient, and you've got 
to figure the pantograph mechanism weighs a lot less than a second 
Thayer and its associated tubing.

Dennis


thetubameister at adelphia.net wrote:
> Another thing to consider - some methods and others figured 7 positions in Bb, of course there are 7 positions with the valve.  I'll bet there are orchestration books that taught this from that time.  After all, wasn't CfO written for Boston?
>
> J.c.S.
>
> ---- Dennis Clason <dclason at nmsu.edu> wrote: 
>   
>> It's in The Miraculous Mandarin, and it's worse than in the Concerto.  
>> It goes B-F-B-F-B, so the "using string and a ring" trick won't work.  
>> It seems like Bartok refused to learn about the instrument, or had it in 
>> his head that the bass was properly in F with a handle.
>>
>> Dennis
>>
>> Keith Marr wrote:
>>     
>>> It sticks in my mind that Bartok writes the same glissando for bass trombone 
>>> in either Bluebeard's Castle or The Miraculous Mandarin, I can't remember 
>>> which. So maybe the Thein is a good buy after all - you could use it for two 
>>> pieces! :-)
>>>
>>> Cheers!
>>>
>>> Keith in Bb/F/D
>>> Bass Trombone
>>> St Albans Symphony Orchestra
>>> North Herts Big Band
>>>   
>>>       
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