What trumpet to use

Thomas2516 · Regular Member Joined: 23 Jul 2015 Posts: 16

George Vosburgh, in a syllabus he prepared for Carnegie Mellon University (https://www.scribd.com/document/353088926/Major-Studio-Trumpet-Vosburgh-pdf), listed his suggested trumpets for specific repertoire. For example, he likes to use a rotary D trumpet for Beethoven 2, 6, 7 and 9.

Has anyone else published a similar list? Is there some sort of standard practice as far as what key trumpet to use on a particular piece of repertoire? And if one wanted to follow Mr. Vosburgh's taste as closely as possible without purchasing a rotary D trumpet, would it be better to play the Beethoven symphonies mentioned on a piston C trumpet or a piston D?

Thanks.

Ed Kennedy · Heavyweight Member Joined: 15 Jan 2005 Posts: 3187

A lot depends on the conductor. I heard Herseth, in the '60's, using his regular C trumpet on Beethoven 5. The Minnesota Orchestra was using Schilke medium bore C7's to stay within the conductor's parameters. I wouldn't sweat it until you are on a gig and the expectations are clear.

Thomas2516 · Regular Member Joined: 23 Jul 2015 Posts: 16

Thanks Ed. Appreciate your response. Hard to be patient these days, but usually a good idea.

nltrumpet · Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:19 am Post subject:

Those can be done on c or d trumpets, piston or rotary. I’d personally opt for a piston C over a piston d for those, but use whatever gets the job done best.

If I had money to shell out, a D rotary would be wonderful, especially Beethoven 7 and 9, Brahms 2, and maybe 3rd trumpet on something like Royal Fireworks.

mafields627 · Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2020 4:42 pm Post subject:

My trumpet teacher was an orchestral principal trumpet for 25+ years. I only ever saw him use C trumpet (Bach 229A) or picc (Yamaha, don't know the model). Everything was also on a 1C (sometimes a smaller piece for picc). That's one way to do it, I guess!
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Thomas2516 · Regular Member Joined: 23 Jul 2015 Posts: 16

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like there might not be a standard practice, more of an individual thing. I guess I'll try out the horns I have, pick a favorite and then work with the maestro when we eventually get together.

Andy Del · Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2020 6:33 pm Post subject:

Speaking with my conductor hat on, I really don't care what one plays, until it sounds wrong. The audience is much of the same mind.

When thinking of the best instrument for the job, this is a vastly different matter but again the conductor's job is not to pick your trumpet, reed, bocal or brand of string. If it sounds duff, then the player had better sort it out quick smart.

When I select my instrument for X gig, I think of what the rest of the group is playing (original instruments, or not for example) and who is in the section. Are they playing a rotary of piston trumpet, Bb/C etc. Also the work(s) on the program. Sometimes even logistics, like can I carry ll that on stage, or can I just use 1 horn for it all?

Next time you get told to use a certain instrument, try the conductor out, se if he/she can tell the difference!

cheers

Andy
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so many horns, so few good notes...

wilder · Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2020 9:53 pm Post subject:

If you are the principal, use what works the best sound wise. keep the conductor out it. if you are not principal, do what the principal tells you to do. jw

grune · Regular Member Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 67

For orchestral section or for the soloist?

For solo, would not the score determine which trumpet? Haydn is supposed to be played in Eb using an Eb trumpet, no?

For orchestral, the de facto standard in the USA is now the C trumpet, no? The change from Bb to C occurred in the latter 1960s? Together with A moving from 440 to 442? A pity, imho, as the timbre of Bb trumpets at A440 is superior to my ears. There was a time ago when conductors would determine whether Bb or C horns for the section, so I had to have Bb and C horns ready to go.

In my case, the principal would accept Bach horns only for the section, and in silver. For the audition, I had to play perfectly using a Bach 1.5C : a 3C received a wrinkled nose, and a we'll call you. In those days ago, Bach was pretty much the only brand to give the right sound, consistently. Nowadays, things are very very different, and for the better.
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trptmindfk · Regular Member Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 70

I went to hear Academy of St Martin play Beethoven 7 many years ago in SF and saw the principal using an A picc,!! What? Yes and it sounded great, so perhaps you can use whatever works.

Since there are so many concert high A's on the 7th, there's not that much difference in the sound between horns up that high. The cool thing with using a D is that you never miss all those high A's, which I have heard some very good players clip when using a C.

Andy Del · Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2020 11:26 am Post subject:

As trptmindfk noted, in other places other practices are observed. In the end, if it sounds great, it is. If it sounds wrong, it is.

The practices in orchestras in various locations means pretty little. As a student, I listened and copied European orchestras, not considering if they played rotary instruments or not. Live in London, I saw the Philharmonia Orchestra perform Shostakovich 5 with the following line up: Bb, C, Bb and a bumper with a soprano cornet. He played a few passages here and there in movt. 1 and 4. It sounded great.

The important thing to remember is that there is more than one way to skin a cat or assemble (or ruin) a trumpet section...

Cheers

Andy
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so many horns, so few good notes...