Here is what arranger David Mathie writes about the 5 Duos by Rossini.

Gioachino Rossini was an Italian composer, born in 1792 and died in 1868. He was known primarily for his thirty-nine operas, although he did compose some chamber pieces and a few orchestral works. His 5 Duos for 2 Horns in E♭ were probably written in 1806 when Rossini was fourteen and living in Bologna, although they weren’t published until 1861. While it may seem unusual for a fourteen-year-old to be composing, by then Rossini had already written his String Sonatas at the age of twelve, and those works are still performed today. An explanation for why Rossini would write a set of duets for horn may be that his father was a professional trumpet player, and taught his son Gioachino to play the horn at a very young age.

These five pieces were written for the natural (valveless) horns of the time, and like the horn writing of Mozart some very technical passages can be found in the lower part, especially in duets four and five. We can also hear the future opera composer’s arias in number three. The duos will work quite well on recitals and also for casual duet playing. Because trombonists can never have enough practice in clefs, I have transcribed the duets into three versions each using bass, tenor and alto clefs.

The 5 Duos in 3 Clefs by Rossini arranged by David Mathie are perfect studies for any aged performer to begin learning Tenor and Alto Clefs. The duet format allows the teacher to play alongside the student, which is always so valuable for learning. They are of moderate difficulty making them well-suited for the "Clef Novice" to begin adding these necessary tools to their technique.

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Mathie

Rossini - 5 Duos in 3 Clefs for Trombones

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