Random thought on Fanfare...

[Howie J]

I was just thinking of how many times I imported Copland's Fanfare for a Common Man while I was working at MPR classical and realized it's never on many audition/excerpt lists.....and if it is...it's really far down. Is this considered more a "pops" tune?? As simple as the melody is, it is one that always gives me goosebumps when I hear it. Haunting and triumphant all at once.

I imported this piece at least 10 times while I was there and two of my favorites (for both playing AND production value) were a Detroit recording from the early '90's....92 or 93 and a Minnesota recording with Manny. I even heard one version where the opening notes were articulated. That was a bit un-nerving. Sounded uncomfortable.

Here ends the ramble.....you may be seated.

Howie J
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[tubbs831]

It is a very difficult piece to perform very well, and in my opinion it would be a decent audition piece. I think the most difficult thing about it is making that opening sound like one big trumpet. I played third in it at school this past December. We did okay job with it, certainly wasn't great, but it was a nice challenge.

Adam

[abh535s]

I'm not 100% sure about this, but here's my take based on experience playing plenty of Copland and plenty of excerpts..

Most of the test excerpts we play, in my opinion, are either quite difficult, exposed enough to make it worth testing, or-- as is often the case-- both. Mahler 5, Ballerina's Dance, Pines off-stage, etc... all of these "standard" excerpts are soloistic/quite exposed for the trumpet and require a degree of musical maturity and experience. They are also popular and oft-played pieces.

Not to say that the test excerpts represent the ONLY difficult or exposed spots in the repertoire, but all of them hit a magic combination of buttons in terms of difficulty and exposure. Fanfare for the Common Man, while a neat piece, does not strike me as particularly telling of the average well-trained orchestral trumpeter. Doesn't go particularly high, long, require an unusual amount of control, specific articulation style (most of it is slurred), endurance, nor does it have many out-of-tune notes, in an unfamiliar key, etc. It is certainly not even the most difficult from Copland. More commonly-called excerpts might be from Outdoor Overture or Lincoln Portrait, and would probably prove more telling when hearing many trumpeters play the same music over and over again, that they've all been working on for countless years.

[johntpt]

I'd argue that it makes a nice audition piece, and certainly would show a lot about you as a musician. Just the first three notes would show intonation, control over wide interval lip-slurs, rhythmic accuracy, musical sense (often the player would accent the third note as that is the highest one at the end of slurred passage, yet musically the emphasis should be on the first note), and of course the quality of your sound. By the time you slur down to the concert Bb, something that isn't quite together or in tune on many famous recordings, those listening would certainly know if they want you as a colleague.

Frankly almost any piece with something to play for the trumpet makes a good audition piece - even a simple C major scale would tell the listeners most of what they need to know. Why isn't the Fanfare used for auditions? I don't know - usually they put one or two "American" pieces on the list with big trumpet solos - American in Paris, Concerto in F, etc, and Fanfare isn't needed.

JU

[robert_white]

The "Fanfare" section of Copland 3 was used for sight reading in the finals of the National Symphony's 2nd trumpet audition a few years ago.

(Needless to say, a decision was rendered shortly thereafter! )

[trombapaul2]

This has nothing to do with the original comment but I would love to hear
the opening performed by a solo trumpet with the rest of the section
entering after the 2nd percussion cycle. I almost had the Music Director
talked into trying it this way a couple of months ago...he changed his mind
right before we went on stage!

Paul
_________________
"NEVER practice...ALWAYS perform" (Bud)

"NEVER look at the trombones...it only encourages them" (R. Strauss)

"What the hell does sound have to do with music?" (Charles Ives)

[SandyJack2008]

My son just performed this piece with the Kinhaven Brass Choir. He is attending summer camp at Kinhaven Music School in Vermont. Beautiful country up there and excellent teachers! They had five days to learn and rehearse this piece. Here it is; conducted by Dr. Robert Blaine: My son (age 11) is 2nd trumpet from the left.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNrP6XAqaKE

http://www.kinhaven.org

[trumpetmike]

[Howie J]

OK, hate to beat the horse anymore....but as a amateur organist myself I found this interesting. I'll still take the real thing....but not bad if you can live without slurs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mM46lVVarg&feature=related

Howie J
_________________
Bach Strad 37
Stomvi Mahler Titanium C
Stomvi Elite Picc
Monette B3FS7, B2L, C2S3 cut for Flex Couplers, AP4LD

[Paul Randall]

The fanfare as it appears in the 4th mvt of Copland 3 begins in C major, then changes keys a couple times till it's in Bb, eventually ending in D major. The seperately published "Fanfare for the Common Man" starts in Bb and stays there, with the D major ending like the symphony. The opening is slurred, but in the C major 3rd symphony version the opening is clearing written without slurs. It might even say marcato, I forget. This accounts for why you've heard it played differently on various recordings.

[Craig Swartz]

Copland 3 was a lot of fun! Wish the little guy with the stick would put that back on the cycle, it's been about 10 years since we played it and then was with a guest conductor. Maybe that's the deal... Love that opening to mvt 2.