Trombone Quartet and Continuo

Daniel Speer is one of the first composers to write specifically for trombone ensembles, and his Sonata in D minor for four trombones remains one of the most-performed pre-20th century works to this day.  Written in 1686, this piece was one of many works that Speer wrote for brass ensemble, along with possibly writing the Sonata 29 from Die Bänkelsängerlieder which is a staple in brass quintet literature.

I am a huge fan of the this particular recording which is on the very first album by the Slokar Quartet.  The Slokar Quartet was founded by well-known Slovenian-German trombonist and pedagogue Branimir Slokar in 1973.  This was the first professional trombone quartet, performing all across Europe to this day and releasing many CD's of trombone quartet repertoire and arrangements, something that had not really been done before this time.  This recording is done with an organ playing a continuo part which, combined with the European-sounding Slokar Quartet, creates an epic soundscape probably close to what Speer had originally imagined.