Review

Benjamin Appel and Harald Kullmann
Schule für Kontrabassposaune: Method for Contrabass Trombone

Würzburg, , Germany
Publisher: crescendo brass
Date of Publication: 2013
Language: German and English

Primary Genre: Study Material - method

The contrabass trombone continues to enjoy a renaissance of interest that includes the publication of new method books to help players understand the instrument and navigate its challenges. Schule für Kontrabassposaune, with text in German and English, is the latest contribution to this growing canon. Benjamin Appel is bass and contrabass trombonist of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and Harald Kullmann is a composer, arranger, conductor and trombonist active in Germany. Together they have written a book that will be helpful for already accomplished trombonists to gain confidence in approaching the contrabass trombone.

The book’s first section consists of over 80 pages of fundamental exercises, devised to acquaint the player with the slide positions of valve tunings in E-flat, D-flat, B-flat and A-flat, as well as the open trombone in F. The same exercises – long tones, scales, arpeggios, lip flexibility – are given for all tunings and they are sensible, clear, and represent a solid warm up routine as well.  The further 12 “Concert Etudes” are a welcome addition to the repertoire, specifically conceived for contrabass trombone in a variety of styles – lyrical, articulated, jazzy, “funk” – that recognize how the contrabass trombone is now being used in a great many types of ensembles.

The most unique part of the book is the chapter, “Contrabass trombone in four weeks – an attempt!” The authors realize that many players do not play contrabass trombone regularly and they have devised a four-week routine to help a player quickly acclimate to the instrument. This is more than simply a “20 minute warmup” – it is a systematic daily routine that uses selected exercises from the book that, if employed, will help a player gain familiarity with the instrument quickly.

Unfortunately, the book suffers from a poorly translated English text that should have been edited by a native English speaker and the comments on the history of the contrabass trombone should be viewed with caution. For instance, the authors assert that a “tuba instrument” would be acceptable in works by Verdi and Puccini despite Verdi’s well documented distain for the tuba that led to construction of the valved BB-flat contrabass trombone, the “trombone contrabasso Verdi”. The section on orchestra excerpts continues the confusion about how Wagner employed the contrabass trombone, including the “Donner motive” from the Prelude to Act 1 of Die Walküre and the “Ride of the Walküre” as contrabass trombone excerpts when, in fact, Wagner specifically called for them to be played on tenor-bass trombone. Readers will need to filter some of the assertions made in the text so as to avoid operating from faulty assumptions. Despite these flaws, there is much to recommend in Schule für Kontrabassposaune, and it is heartening to see another book that will help players to become familiar and conversant with the contrabass trombone.

-Douglas Yeo
Arizona State University