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In 2016 I put together, set in six different ranges for all brass instruments, a new edition of the venerable Bordogni vocalises. For my version, initially developed for use in low horn teaching, I had went back to an earlier edition than the popular Rochut version for trombone, with some light updates of my own.
That original edition of 21 etudes is described here, and they were initially put up for sale in a PDF only version. Honestly, they did not sell too many copies, not many people knew about them, they were only sold directly from the Horn Notes Edition website, and of course there was no printed version available. Ultimately, I pulled all the PDF versions of all my publications off the market and in 2018 updated all the book-like publications into Kindle format for better distribution, dropping the music publications.
Fast forward to this summer, and I had the big project to upgrade my Kindle editions and update them to again be available in print (more on that here). With a positive review from the International Trombone Association also to spur me on, I took the plunge and the Bordogni-Gumbert-Ericson collection is back in print in a second edition. It is available worldwide in print and Kindle formats through Amazon and Kindle Direct Publishing. Search for them in Amazon, or go to this page of the Horn Notes Edition website for links to all versions. My description of them there:
The Bordogni-Gumbert-Ericson Collection (six versions of Bordogni for all brass), second edition
These classic vocalises (vocal etudes) by Marco Bordogni (1789-1856) are a favorite among brass players today. This new edition is based on the 1880 edition by Ferdinand Gumbert (1818-1896), following Gumbert closely for the first 21 of these classic melodies. Intended for vocalists, Gumbert has indicated more articulations and less slurs than the typical edition, providing for us more musical variety to the treatment of the original Bordogni melodies. To better suit the modern brass player his edition has been lightly updated, and is presented here as a collection of six versions, covering ranges from Standard Treble Clef to Ultra-Low Bass Clef.
“Sold at an incredibly reasonable price … this new edition of the classic Bordogni Vocalises is a must.” Review of Standard Bass Clef and Low Bass Clef versions, International Trombone Association
In terms of my own teaching, the version I most missed using was the standard treble clef version, and I’m buying a few copies to use with my students. Give them a try! I believe these are great additions to what is out there for horn and all brass teachers.
A final little note of random interest, as with my other publications I took the cover photo. The instruments are all vintage, silver plated instruments in my small personal collection. That King trumpet belonged to my dad, and my parents picked up the other instruments for me at auctions in Kansas. The Conn trombone in particular is an interesting design with very artistic braces. I’m happy with the cover and how it all came out.
UPDATE: A question came in about the piano accompaniment, if it might be available. It is! Go to IMSLP and search out the Gumbert edition of Bordogni 24 Vocalises. They are in the same sounding key for horn players as the low treble clef and low bass clef, and for bass clef instruments in the same sounding key as the standard bass and extra-low bass versions.
