Toot Suite-Bolling-all 6 movements

[trumanjazzguy]

Has anybody ever undertaken the challenge of playing all 6 movements of Toot Suite in a Senior or Master's or Doctoral recital... or professionally? I played Allegre a few years back in college (movement 1) and am starting to work on Mystique (movement 2). I barely have the chops to play anything after I'm done with Allegre, unless I take a 15 minute chop break. I'd like to be able to play both movements 1 and 2 as an endurance challenge. I'd dream of being so efficient that I could play all 6 movements. Is this even humanly possible, in one recital?
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[Steve A]

I've never heard of it in a school recital setting (partly because I never heard of it while I was in school), but Peter Bond has played part of it (fantastically!) and it's on Youtube. Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgfSUV86c_o

Playing starts around 3:30.

[Milesselim007]

http://yle.fi/aihe/tapahtuma/2016/05/22/chamber-music-concert-9-sweet-toot-suite

[tptplayer]

Yes, years ago at Cooledge Auditorium of The Library of Congress, I played the entire Suite o' Toots. It is a challenge, but you have a regular routine that includes C Eb Picc Flug Cornet on a somewhat daily basis. The horns need to become part of your arsenal rather an instrument you pick up just for the challenge of playing a piece. Play movements on lower pitched trumpets to learn how the technical difficulties are and then switch to the correct horn. Play from the back of each movement to learn how to close each episode. The trio helped me with endurance because there was a sound to play into. Look for spots where you can coast. The cornet mvt is a break.

Best of luck
Carl Rowe

[razeontherock]

[dalmavs]

I wanted to play the whole piece on a recital, but my teacher had a more practical approach to recitals. In a nutshell, a trumpet recital should have some variety. Toot Suite has a lot of variance, but in the same style. I know other instruments routinely play 30-45 minute pieces on a solo recital, but the trumpet audience is not used to that yet. It certainly is playable in a recital, and I have thought about doing it in one recital. Intermissions when playing the whole piece is a common discussion. I have meat head tendencies (I am a trumpet player) so I would play it all with no intermission, but other people said they would take a break. Someone else may chime in with where an intermission is suggested.

[trumpiper]

I have done 5 of the movements in a concert (I couldn't handle the March at the time) I am going to play the whole thing (I hope) at a concert in November. It's a real challenge,at least for me. I try to play straight through it as far as I can a couple times a week. On the other days I work individual movements and of course basic fundamentals to build the endurance. We'll see how it goes as I get closer to the concert. I can say that working on it has helped many aspects of my playing. When I was looking around for information on the work,I found a research paper done on performing the piece. Very interesting. I don't have the link at hand but i'm sure you wouldn't have any trouble finding it with a search.
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If it's loud enough, they'll surrender

[johntpt]

Playing the entire Toot Suite is one of the most difficult challenges in our rep. The music sounds so fresh and light but for the performer it can be a killer! I have played it a few times, and have never played anything so demanding endurance wise either in the orch or solo. Once the violin suite was on the same program and we went one movement at a time. That really helped. Also we added some 8 or 16 bar interludes for the trio to improvise without me especially in the last movement.

As you practice, the Toot Suite will teach you pacing as nothing else can. In the earlier movements you might want to give your all but you need to be thinking towards the end and the picc movements. You never really need to play loud as you will be heard!

I used F trumpet for the movement written for Eb, which gave me a bit more endurance. There is a YouTube video of Maurice Andre using a G trumpet for that movement.

Good luck!

JU

[stratosphere392]

I've never heard of anyone playing the entire suite in a recital. Only pieces of it. Sounds like quite the feat though!

[JCJOTpt]

Actually pondering this same question - been working on the piece during the summer.

Thinking I'd like to perform the entire work sometime in the fall or spring.

Beyond the demands on the trumpeter, the biggest challenge from my perspective, is finding the right piano player.

In particular one that can handle the heavy-duty classical demands of the piece plus the swing/jazz styling & improvisation AND who's available and willing to spend the time in rehearsal to get it tight.
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Bob Wagner
New Release: Toot Suite
CD & Download available
http://bob-wagner.com

[JCJOTpt]

Well from pondering the idea last July to actually making it happen.

I'll be performing the full Toot-Suite (all six movements) at four different churches here in the Philadelphia area in late Jan/early Feb.

Found some really terriffic players and we're busy getting it ready to go.

For more information including dates and locations check out my website: http://bob-wagner.com/toot-suite
_________________
Bob Wagner
New Release: Toot Suite
CD & Download available
http://bob-wagner.com

[Danbassin]

Thanks for bringing up this topic!

I had a friend and classmate play Toot Suite on her recital (I don't recall whether it was undergrad or masters) at the New England Conservatory. I wish I could remember what else she played, but it was not the only piece on the program --- talking about chops of steel!

Some of the comments above are spot-on - if you're doing a school recital to show you have killer chops and like cross-over repertoire, this is the piece for you, and much of the audience should enjoy it. That said, if you end up taking a degree in trumpet without your Haydns and Hummels and Hindemiths and Halsey Stevens and Maxwell Davies and Baroque repertoire and Contemporary repertoire, and chamber music more subtle than jazz piano trio + trpt, you're probably setting yourself up for more of a career as a trumpet-player, rather than as a complete musician.

I remember purchasing the sheet music as a teenager (the trumpet part has, of course, floated away into the ether, but I can still practice from the piano part, and those drum set and bass parts are untouched!), however even then I became acutely aware of the diminishing returns with this piece. Frankly, there are probably better chop-challenges which offer a more diverse musical backdrop to your studies -and- your chop-building.

All of that said, I would like to see this piece on more programs, as it is a delight. But, if you're a student, make sure you've got your core rep and a Jolivet or two, maybe a Tomasi, and perhaps some real contemporary music (Eotvos's "Jet Stream" is a neglected recent masterwork, to say nothing of the wealth of great trumpet solos Stockhausen wrote).

Happy practicing!

-DB
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[jwtrumpet2207]

I played 4 movements for my masters recital last semester. I left out the two picc movements and switched Vesperale with Mystique, that way the two most taxing movements (Allegre and mystique) were not right beside each other. So the order was Allegre, Vesperale, Rag-Polka, then Mytique. This was the first piece followed by Dana Wilson's Masks (jazzy in its own way), then a 4 or 5 tune combo set (since the rhythm section was already there from the bolling). It ended up being about 1:35 with intermission which was probably a little bit too long.

I can't imagine doing all 6, as the March is very tiring if no cuts are taken. Good luck to anyone who tries it!
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[JCJOTpt]

Update...

Three performances completed and one to go.

It's been a fascinating process working this piece and performing it with the group.

Here's the program: (Runs 75-90 min)

Pachel's Cannon / 50 Ways to leave your lover - Flugelhorn - (my own mashup/arrangement)

Toot-Suite

I. Allegre - Bb Tpt - video clip: https://youtu.be/1y3OViii6w8
II. Mystique - Eb Cornet
III. Rag Polka - Bb Cornet
IV. Marche - Bb Picc - video clip: https://youtu.be/yn3PutDpXr4

Money (That's what I want) - Trio Only - I get a break and we do our freewill collection here.

Toot Suite (cont...)

V. Vesperale - Flugelhorn
VI. Spirituelle - Bb picc

ENCORE

Freddie Freeloader (Bb tpt) segue to Penny Lane (A picc)

We take a few minutes between movements to interact with the audience.

I talk about Maurice Andre, all the horns etc, my piano player talks about Bolling, my drummer talks about the nuances behind to his approach & techique, etc...

If anyone is in the Philly area - We have one more performance scheduled for next Friday Feb 10th at Paoli Presbyterian Church, 7:30 PM - freewill offering.
_________________
Bob Wagner
New Release: Toot Suite
CD & Download available
http://bob-wagner.com

[JCJOTpt]

For anyone following this thread - just wanted to offer an update to my "Toot Suite" odyssey...

After completing four live performances of all 6 movements as part of a mini-tour of the Philly suburbs in Feb 2017, I decided to go into the studio and recording.

Such a fun piece of music...

The recording was released about a month ago and it's getting some attention...

Including a review by Nick Mondello just posted today on Allaboutjazz.com...

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/toot-suite-bob-wagner-jump-city-music-review-by-nicholas-f-mondello.php

CD & Downloads for sale at http://bwtrumpet.com

Also available at online retailers (amazon, itunes, etc..) and streaming on Spotify...
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Bob Wagner
New Release: Toot Suite
CD & Download available
http://bob-wagner.com

[dershem]

I use it as a regular practice piece, but have only played one movement at a time as audition pieces (usually Rag-Polka or Vesperale). It's an amazing piece, but ridiculously hard to do well.

[1jazzyalex]

Claude Bolling of Suite For Flute And Jazz Piano fame? This is in beginner's?

Wonderful music! But, wow ...
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