Baroque trumpet

runegp · Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 12:45 pm Post subject:

I`m thinking of buying a baroque trumpet but can`t decide which on. Found som nice horns here http://www.baroquetrumpet.com/trumpets.htm
Any advise?

rooster7 · Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 6:24 pm Post subject:

I sure hope you get alot of responses on your question. I like reading about "natural" trumpets. One of my favorite recordings, featuring a Baroque trumpet, is "The Art of the Baroque Trumpet Volume 4". Niklas Eklund is the Baroque trumpeter. He does a magnificent job on Michael Haydns Trumpet Concerto in C. It made me wonder if there is a recording available of Joseph Haydns Trumpet Concerto in Eb played with a natural trumpet?
Mark

[ This Message was edited by: rooster7 on 2004-05-13 01:20 ]

[ This Message was edited by: rooster7 on 2004-05-13 01:21 ]

Meldog · Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 6:35 pm Post subject:

I can't remember but I believe I just picked up a recording of Eklund playing the Haydn, Hummel, Neruda, and one other all on natural trumpet. I can't remember for sure and all my stuff is packed away for a move. Someone else on here should be able to verify or say I'm totally wrong. It's one of my favorite recordings of this pieces.
Adam Metzler
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nextbrassguy · Heavyweight Member Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 1428

Can the Haydn and Hummel even be played on a natural trumpet??? I'm sure they were written for a keyed trumpet, which I don't think of as "natural", meaning having neither keys nor valves. (Maybe I'm just being a language stickler.)

trumpetmike · Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 11:41 pm Post subject:

The Haydn and Hummel were, indeed, written for keyed trumpet, not natural trumpet. What made these pieces stand apart from the others around at the time was their ability to play notes that the natural trumpets could not.
Yes, those concertos have been recorded on keyed trumpet (and have already been discussed somewhere on TH).

As for which baroque trumpets to look at - this subject is very close to me at the moment. Not only am I about to be purchasing one, but I have also just (about 12 hours ago!) been discussing it with Crispian (Steele-Perkins - one of the best baroque trumpet players in existence).
The first thing we talked about was the main thing you need to think about when buying a nat - holes or not. True baroque trumpets DID NOT have holes. The player had to correct the pitch of "those notes" using their lips. The majority of players find that this technique is quite tricky to grasp.
If you go for one with holes (which is what the majority seem to do) there are quite a few quality makers around. He recommended Matthew Parker's as a good "beginner" nat. The Egger and Naumann models are impressive (my view, I haven't discussed these with Crispian), but he said that the current pro choice is a Tomes.
When I suggested the possibility that the best baroque trumet I have played didn't actually have any holes he was quite intrigued - saying that these are generally harder to tune, until I said that the make I tried was a Maller ( http://www.mallerbbi.com ). Then he understood. David Maller makes baroque trumpets by hand, with no holes and they play superbly. They are the finest baroque trumpets I have played and play better in tune than almost any other (even though those with holes are supposed to play better in tune!).
As with regular trumpet playing, the mouthpiece makes a huge difference. It is possible to play most makes using your regular mouthpiece, but for the best results use a baroque style mouthpiece. This will feel huge (well, they tend to be bigger than ANYTHING Bach, Schilke, Warburton etc make) for the first couple of minutes, but I found that my lips soon adjusted. I was able to take the Maller up into the stratosphere (Telemann, Leopold Mozart, even Michael Haydn!!!) using one of his mouthpieces, using my regular Warburton it was quite a struggle.

So - the main decision you are faced with when contemplating buying a baroque trumpet is to hole or not?

Try some of each (come along to ITG - Maller and Naumann are usually there, for starters) and see which work for you.

Buying a baroque trumpet is very much like buying any other instrument - there is not one make that will work for everybody, but there are those that will work for you. Try as many as you can (slightly more difficult with baroque trumpets than regular ones, due to many of them being hand- made to order) and go for the one which works with you on the end of it.
That is what I have been told, that is what I am going to be doing this year.
A consultation with Crispian and then it's time to shop!!!!

Meldog · Posted: Thu May 13, 2004 2:00 am Post subject:

Guess I was a little tired last night..lol. I also meant a keyed trumpet, not a natural trumpet!!
Adam Metzler
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trumpetmike · Posted: Thu May 13, 2004 2:06 am Post subject:

Adam - we all get days like that, I wouldn't worry too much.

I had a moment like that during one of my written exams - I started talking about Haydn's Messiah!!! I managed to rectify the problem before handing the paper in, but for that brief moment in time I honestly have no idea what came over me!

runegp · Posted: Thu May 13, 2004 2:31 am Post subject:

Thank`s for your replies.
One of the problems living in Norway, is that we don`t have options when it comes to picking an instrument. I talked to my instrumentshop and they could not get me more than one instrument. It would be to expencive for them to let me try more than one. The truth is that they haven`t got a clue when it comes to other instruments than overprized schoolband yamaha trumpets. Ahrrg I`m mad.....but....internet is a great thing:-)

Rune

samlg · Posted: Thu May 13, 2004 5:15 am Post subject:

Mike, do you have any idea what Matthew parker's trumpets cost? nat is one of the main reasons im going to college, ever sice hearing eklund play ive been hooked cant wait to learn one proper!

have fun, sam

jcdob · Posted: Thu May 13, 2004 5:35 am Post subject:

Hey

if you live in the North, I would suggest that you fly to Basel in Switzerland and try the Eggers. They are the best natural trumpets in Europe... (recommended by Tarr and many others). Don't buy just after trying one. Go to a place where people can help you choose.

JC

trumpetmike · Posted: Thu May 13, 2004 12:48 pm Post subject:

samlg · Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 12:30 am Post subject:

cheers mike,

i have a copy of an lp too, one of the firts sets of brandenburg concertos, some of the playing is realy bad, the trills are so uneven but thats what makes it so good. i think that eklund had a part to lay in my application to college, i now have a big thing for peices being played as they were intended.

have fun, sam

rooster7 · Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 10:49 am Post subject:

Does anyone know if there is a recording of Michael Haydns Trumpet Concerto in D, with a Baroque/natural trumpet?
Incidently,there is a VHS tape available which features all six of Bachs Brandenburg Concertos. The second concerto features Friedmann Immer playing a natural trumpet. Unfortunately, there aren't as many closeups as I would like, but all-and-all, its a great performance. The entire recording of all of the concertos is excellent. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes that kind of thing.
Mark