Natural trumpet
Classification |
Natural trumpets – There are no means of changing the pitch apart from the player's lips; end-blown trumpets – The mouth-hole faces the axis of the trumpet.) |
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Related instruments | |
Clarion, Bugle |
A natural trumpet is a valveless brass instrument that is able to play the notes of the harmonic series.
History
- See: Clarion
The natural trumpet was used as a military instrument to facilitate communication (e.g. break camp, retreat, etc.).
Even before the late Baroque period the natural trumpet had been accepted into Western art music. There is evidence, for example, of extensive use of trumpet ensembles in Venetian ceremonial music of the 16th century. Although neither Andrea nor Giovanni Gabrieli wrote music specifically for the trumpet, they would have been very familiar with its technical possibilities.[citation needed]
Later, talented players such as the early baroque composer
Baroque composers – such as Antonio Vivaldi, Georg Philipp Telemann, George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach – made frequent use of trumpets in sacred, orchestral, and even solo works. Many of these trumpet parts are technically quite difficult to play on a natural instrument, and were often written with a specific virtuoso performer in mind, such as Gottfried Reiche (Bach's chief trumpeter and the subject of a famous painting of the era) or Valentine Snow, for whom Handel composed some of his more noted trumpet parts. Indeed, highly skilled trumpeters were a prized commodity in the era, held in high esteem and avidly sought after by musical patrons.
The vast majority of baroque trumpet parts were written for a natural instrument pitched in C or D, although there were occasional exceptions. J. S. Bach, for example, calls for a trumpet in B♭ in his Cantatas Nos. 5 and 90, trumpets in E♭ in the first version of his Magnificat and, most famously, the solo trumpet in high F in his
Natural trumpets continued to be used through the
After the brief attempt at developing a
In modern-day performances of Baroque and Classical works by period orchestras, the trumpets used are usually altered copies of natural instruments of the period, with the addition of anachronistic nodal "tone holes" (also called "venting holes") used to more easily and accurately correct the intonation of the instrument and the use of altered copies of mouthpieces or baroque inspired modern ones. (There is a growing consensus to refer to these instruments as "baroque trumpets" to distinguish them from pure "natural trumpets".) The use of finger holes on reconstructions of natural trumpets is traceable to Otto Steinkopf, who early in the 20th century discovered holes on a few museum originals. However, it appears that these holes were usually placed at antinodes, and thus designed to prevent the note from sounding, rather than allowing it to be played in tune.
While modern reconstructions with nodal finger holes may not be completely authentic in comparison with the originals, they nevertheless allow a close approximation of the sound of the natural trumpet (and its ability to more easily blend with other instruments in an ensemble) without the "quirks" of intonation to which modern ears are unaccustomed. Though such vented instruments have been the norm in period orchestras for decades, in recent years ensembles such as La Petite Bande and soloists such as Jean-François Madeuf have been performing and recording using pure natural trumpets.
In conventional (non-period) orchestras, the highest baroque trumpet parts are usually played on the modern piccolo trumpet, an instrument that provides firm support of range, attack and intonation, while producing a brighter sound – very different from the natural trumpet the composers had in mind.
The natural trumpet is differentiated from another valveless brass instrument, the bugle, in that it is nearly twice the length. This places the higher harmonics (from the 8th harmonic up, which are closer together in pitch) in a playable range, enabling the performance of diatonic melodies. The bugle, by contrast, is only useful for performing simple fanfares and military calls (such as "Taps") in a lower range (normally only utilizing the 2nd through 6th harmonics), based on the notes of a major triad (for example, the notes B♭, D, and F on a bugle pitched in B♭).
Period instruments
Some of the finest surviving examples of pre-Baroque and Baroque era trumpets date back as far as the 1580s, and were made by Anton Schnitzer of Nuremberg.[2] Other notable trumpet makers include the Hainlein family of Nuremberg, the Haas family of Nuremberg, the Ehe family of Nuremberg, and William Bull of London.[3] All of these instrument makers built what are now called natural trumpets.[when?] During the period, however, these instruments were simply called trumpets, not "natural trumpets", as a valved instrument had yet to be developed.
Modern replicas
In the second half of the 20th century as historically-informed performance came into fashion, modern instrument makers began building instruments based on historical instruments. Among the pioneers were Meinl & Lauber, Adolf Egger, Robert Barclay, Frank Tomes. Makers active as of 2021 include Matthew Parker, Graham Nicholson, Markus Raquet, Geert Jan van der Heide, Cristian Bosc, Rainer Egger, Bernhard (Ewald) Meinl, Tony Esparis, Nikolai Mänttäri, Nathaniel Wood, and Gunther Cogen. [citation needed]
Construction
The natural trumpet has a mouthpiece, which is inserted into the receiver. The receiver is attached to the long tubing, called the first yard, with a short connector, called a ferrule. The first yard is connected with a ferrule to the first bow, followed by another ferrule and the second yard. The second yard is attached with a ferrule to the second bow. On the baroque trumpet, the vent holes are located at the top of the second yard, and possibly on the second bow. After the second bow are the bellpipe, the ball, the bell, garland, and bezel. The bellpipe and first yard are separated by a wood block, and over that there is a cord for binding.[2]
Players
Notable living players of the natural trumpet include Don Smithers and Jean-François Madeuf. Living players of the Baroque trumpet include Robert Farley, Anna Freeman, Alison Balsom, Crispian Steele-Perkins, Friedemann Immer , Niklas Eklund, David Blackadder, Will Wroth and John Thiessen.[4]
See also
- History of primitive, ancient Western and non-Western trumpets
- Birch trumpet
- Natural horn
References
- ISBN 0-674-37501-7.
- ^ a b Barclay, Robert. 1992. The Art of the Trumpet-Maker. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- ^ Bate, Philip. 1978. Instruments of the Orchestra: The Trumpet and Trombone. London: Ernest Benn.
- ^ Wilcox, Beverly (May 20, 2008). Miracle of the Nodal Vent. San Francisco Classical Voice. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
External links
- Photos, discussion, and sound samples of a natural trumpet from 1760 (from the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments, search page for "natural trumpet")
- Early Trumpet History and Connection to the Baroque-Era Natural Trumpet
- The origin of triads and heroic fanfares in the diatonic scale
- Jean-Francois Maduef performing the 3rd movement from Brandenburg Concerto No.2 in F on a natural trumpet in a live concert