Ferdinand David's Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra, Op. 4, was composed in 1837. It was dedicated to Karl Traugott Queisser, who was a good friend of David, and also played in the Gewandhaus Orchestra, where David was concertmeister. There are many myths about how this concertino came about, but one of the most probable versions are that David rewrote one of his already mostly finished violin-pieces into this trombone concertino. Queisser initially asked Felix Mendelssohn to write him a Trombone Concerto, but as he did not have the time for it, David might have suggested Mendelssohn to use his composition for this purpose. (If one compares the composition to David's surrounding works (e.g. Op. 3 & 5) there are clearly some parts that are much better composed than otherwise, which leads to a suggestion that Mendelssohn might have "looked it over"). The piece was premiered at the Gewandhaus with Queisser playing the solo part and Mendelssohn conducting. It was an immediate success.
It consists of 3 movements:
The second movement was arranged for Violin and Piano by David and was played at his own funeral.
This score is written for the following instruments:
Solo Trombone, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets 2 Bassoons, 4 Horns, 2 Trumpets in Eb, 3 Trombones, Timpani, and Strings
The piece has been recorded by Michael Ostrander, Carl Lenthe, Christian Lindberg, among others. A performance of the concerto usually lasts around 16-17 minutes.