From Sacred to Supernatural: The Tonal Semantics of the Trombone and the Representation of the Otherworldly in Classical Western Music

Abstract

This study examines the diachronic evolution of the trombone’s tonal role in Classical Western music, tracing its shifting cultural associations from sacred liturgical contexts to supernatural operatic and symphonic signification. Addressing the instrument’s ontological paradox—how it functioned both as Vox Dei and later as a signifier of metaphysical authority the research adopts a qualitative historical-musicological approach grounded in musical semiotics. Through the analytical examination of selected works by Monteverdi, Mozart, and Beethoven, the study interprets the trombone’s function using parameters of register, orchestral isolation, harmonic context, and rhythmic profile. Rather than assuming a linear expressive transformation, the findings suggest that the instrument’s sacred associations were recontextualized within theatrical and later symphonic environments. In these settings, the trombone emerges as a marked sonic presence capable of mediating between dramatic narrative and metaphysical imagination. Ultimately, the study argues that the trombone’s evolving tonal identity reflects a continuity of cultural meaning shaped by changing theological and aesthetic frameworks, rather than a simple shift from sacred to infernal symbolism.