Sibelius Symphonies

walter · Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2002 9:23 pm Post subject:

[ This Message was edited by: walter on 2002-09-20 09:02 ]

zachenos · Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2002 6:37 am Post subject:

Hi,

I'm racking me head to try and recall the source of this story, I'm pretty sure it was from a tuba friend years ago. This is a bit fuzzy, but apparently there is very little for the tuba in Sibelius' works after a certain point (swan of t? finlandia?), the story I was told was that at a premier the tuba player showed up wasted drunk and ruined the premier, Sibelius was furious and excluded the tuba from that point, I think there was something about there being only tuba player in his area! =)

Zach

johntpt · Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2002 11:03 am Post subject:

Yes Sibelius can be a big blow or a big bore in terms of the trumpet parts. The first 2 symphonies have great trumpet parts - lots of melodies to play and nice brass section writing. The 3rd Symphony (probably my favorite) has almost nothing for the trumpets, along with the 4th symphony, which has slightly more than the 3rd but still not much. The 5th is nice - not as much to do as in the 2nd but still some nice moments, especially the ending of the 2 outer movements. 6 is a sleeper, but 7 has some nice brass section moments. His Violin Concerto, another amazing piece, also has very little for the trumpets, save for one big moment in the slow movement.

The tone poems generally have nice trumpet parts. The best known and most popular is the Finlandia, which keeps the trumpets plently busy. En Saga and Pajola's Daughter also have nice trumpet parts. (If you want to listen to something really pretty check out the Pajola's Daughter - another amazing piece of music.)

Sibelius generally wrote nice stuff for the brass, but his more tranquil relaxed music (3rd Symphony) or his introverted dark music (4th Symphony) involved less brass to reflect the character of the music.

I've never played the 6th Symphony. Tell us more about it Walter. Is the music more quiet and tranquil, or is more dark and introverted?

I disagree that Mozart hated trumpeters. His Symphonies have great trumpet parts, and can be some of the most challenging pieces to play WELL for the trumpets. Check out the parts to the "Linz" Symphony, no. 36. The 2nd player needs great control, articulation and sound to play the slow movement well. No 39 has many high Bbs to play, and there is nothing quite like the Jupiter Symphony, no. 41 - many consider this piece one of the highpoints of western music. Playing that piece is always special. And to think that Mozart wrote those last 3 symphonies over the span of a few weeks in the summer of 1789.

Also, as a child in Salzburg one of the Mozart family's best friends was the court trumpeter. The concerto by Leopold, W.A.'s father, was written for him. Anyways the scholars know from letters that Mozart as a teenager also wrote him a trumpet concerto. Unfortunately the music does not survive, or if it does it's buried in some basement or church in Salzburg. Wouldn't that be amazing to have a concerto for us to play by Mozart?

John Urness

zachenos · Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2002 11:16 am Post subject:

Wow... a Mozart Concerto.... Well maybe there is still hope, I mean the Haydn and Hummel were only relatively recent discoveries. One can hope I guess.

Zach

Nicholas Dyson · Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2002 11:31 am Post subject:

I, too, have always heard that WA Mozart didn't love the sound of the trumpet. One tale had him fainting at the sound. Leopold's concerto continues to be one of my favorite pieces, (although I haven't enjoyed it nearly as much since I sold my picc.) I hope WA's concerto finds it's way to the light of day, as I agree that his writing is wonderful.
_________________
Nicholas Dyson
Ottawa, Canada

walter · Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2002 6:53 am Post subject:

[ This Message was edited by: walter on 2002-09-20 09:02 ]

TJH · Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2002 5:43 pm Post subject:

I think W.A. Mozart's lost concerto for trumpet appears in his catalog as K or KV47(?), but I forget the letter that follows the number, as there were several works he simultaneously completed in that period.

Supposedly the work is in the rococco style, like the concerto his father wrote.
What little is known about it is based solely on corresspondence. It's too bad that the music is completely lost. At the very least it could have been reconstructed from any existing parts or even sketches.

In my ignorance I used to think of the lost Mozart concerto as the Holy Grail of classical trumpet concertos, but now I think if it is ever recovered it will prove to be only a curiosity. It's a work from Mozart's youth, and stylistically would probably be a poor example of Mozart's writing. Nonetheless it would be nice minor boost to the repetoire. Now only if someone can find a "romantic" trumpet solo by a major 19th composer- besides Tarr's discovery of the Verdi Adagio or the Suppe Divertissement.

[ This Message was edited by: TJH on 2002-06-24 20:45 ]