Hardest Piece Ever

Chops of Steel · New Member Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 6

Hey everyone,
I've been listening to the Carnival of Venus for a while now, and I read some info on Wikipedia about Allen Vizzutti. It mentioned that his piece, Carnival of Venus, was regarded as one of the most difficult pieces ever composed for the trumpet. That got me thinking, what is the most difficult piece for the trumpet? I think it would definitely have to be Carnival of Venus. Some others that might compete for that title would be Moto Perpetuo, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto as played by Malcolm Mcnabb, or maybe even Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto as played by Sergei Nakariakov. Your thoughts?
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dbacon · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 8592

2nd Movt Haydn, as played by Gil Johnson.....

chipper983 · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:09 pm Post subject:

Don't forget Space is a Diamond by Lucia Dlugoszewski. You can listen to Gerry Schwarz play it here: http://www.artofthestates.org/cgi-bin/piece.pl?pid=15

I don't think he plays it entirely accurately as per the score but you will understand why when you hear it.

Drizzt · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:09 pm Post subject:

Venus is a planet. With no carnivals.
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_TrumpeT_ · Heavyweight Member Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 1426

Drizzt · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:44 pm Post subject:

Ya I know about Vizzuttis version, Ive seen the video on youtube as well. I was just joking.

And yes, its definately one of the hardest pieces if not the hardest for trumpet.
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redface · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:48 pm Post subject:

Maxwell Davies Concerto, or HK Gruber's `Aerial'
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trpt.hick · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 4:08 pm Post subject:

Gunther Schuller's CONCERTO FOR TRUMPET. Mighty hard!

Wes Clarke · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 4:27 pm Post subject:

I'm not sure about the hardest. But, I've got a transcription for trumpet of John Cage's 4'33" in front of me and it's either the hardest thing ever written, or the easiest. I can't decide.

trpthrld · Heavyweight Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 4810

When Malcolm McNab was playing w/ Frank Zappa, Frank wrote a piece called "The Malcolm McNab," written specifically to showcase Malcolm's incredibly mastery of the trumpet.

Definitely not for beginners or the squeamish. I have a copy of it and it's all over the horn. It'd take someone of Malcolm's musicianship to make it sound like music and not just notes.

I don't know if there are any recordings of it. Maybe Malcolm has one in his archives or will someday work it up & record it.
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trpthrld · Heavyweight Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 4810

steve k · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 5:36 pm Post subject:

"Hot Cross Buns" from the Ed Sueta band method trumpet book 1...back when I was nine years old, it was the hardest thing I'd ever seen!
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spitvalve · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 5:44 pm Post subject:

Vizzuti and Jeff Tyzik wrote a concerto together that was recorded by Doc Severinsen w/ the London Symphony about twenty years ago. Wow.

I don't know if it's ever been published. Probably only a handful of players in the world that could pull it off.
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Drizzt · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 5:55 pm Post subject:

wvtrumpet · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:00 pm Post subject:

Two old standbys...the brandenburg and the tomasi concerto
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jpetrocelli · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:36 pm Post subject:

max3k · Veteran Member Joined: 21 Jan 2007 Posts: 232

Tanze Samba · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:15 am Post subject:

Crap....you mean there's something harder than the 14 Characteristic Studies in the back of the Arban's book? You laugh, but some of those pieces are kicking my butt!

Wondra · Heavyweight Member Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 537

trpthrld mentioned Malcolm McNab - he gets my vote for hands down playing the hardest piece ever. It is Tchaikovsky’s Concerto for Violin & Orchestra in D Major, Op. 35. Back in the day, the violinists of Tchaikovsky’s time ridiculed Tchaikovsky for writing it and they called this piece unplayable - on a violin!!! There has been a recording of Malcolm playing this piece floating around for years - it is a recording of a practice session that wasn't supposed to get around. Anyway, Malcolm put out a CD this year called "Exquisite" that includes a fresh recording of this piece as well as others, including the tune Frank Zappa wrote for him. This is the most incredible recording I have ever heard of pure trumpet mastery (I love it and I'm not a classical guy

).

Anyway, you'll find the CD at his website: www.malcolmmcnab.com. He also sells the sheet music for the Tchaikovsky piece.
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tptfrbrains · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:03 am Post subject:

I've played the Brandenburg and the Tomasi many times, and I've had the pleasure of doing Gunther's first, and 2nd quintet quite a few times,too.
They are all difficult, but they pale in comparison to Schuller's trumpet concerto. He encouraged me to do it with my orchestra years ago (around 1988) saying "it isn't really that hard" - right. Also the Skalkottas sonata is incredibly difficult.
Space is a Diamond is, in my opinion, almost impossible for me to visualise, much less play.

r.