Short & Sweet - Evolution of Baroque, Classical, and Romantic Trumpet
The trumpet is a noble instrument and has an intriguing history. The evolution of the trumpet begins long before the Baroque Period. In order to best show the musical and physical progress of the Natural Trumpet it is best to start from the Baroque Period. By far, the most technological advancement of the high brass instrument was during the nineteenth century with the keyed and piston valve allowing the full chromatic scale and the seven harmonic series.
Baroque Period
During the Baroque period, the trumpet was commonly seen as a symbol of status and power. It was common in the noble courts to display trumpet ensembles in order to present a high level of prestige. A trumpet player had three significant roles; ‘field trumpeters’, ‘musical trumpeters’, and ‘nonmusical trumpeters’. Typically, musical trumpeters had a higher level of training and notated music. While the field and nonmusical trumpeters were generally used in the military (Tarr 23).
The Baroque Trumpet, often referred to as the natural trumpet, became standardized in the early seventeenth century. Typically, the instrument was made of brass, comprising two sections; two bends and a bell. The mouthpiece used is larger than the modern mouthpiece. This instrument uses the natural harmonics which limits composers on how they can incorporate the trumpet in their pieces. In order to play melodies, it was necessary to use the higher register due to the overtone series which is closer to step-wise notation. Unfortunately, these overtones are naturally sharp or flat. Generally, composers would have three parts for the trumpet; tromba, clarino, and principale. The princapale and tromba would double the timpani due to the low register and the solid harmonic foundation. While the clarino plays utilizing the higher tessitura in which more pitches are readily available (Roseborrough 20).
An Italian trumpeter, Cesare Bendinelli was the chief court trumpeter in Munich, Germany (New Grove). He wrote the earliest known trumpet manuscript, Volume di tutta 1 'arte della Trombetta (1614). Which is commonly referred to as Bendinelli’s treatise. This treatise contains music written by himself and the best known trumpet players of the day. The music includes military signals, toccatas, range exercises, sarasinettas, improvisation, sonatas, and clarino exercises. In addition, Bendinelli is attributed for incorporating the usage of syllables in order to articulate on the instrument.
Following the treatises, the first known method book for the trumpet was written by Girolamo Fantini, Modo per imparare a sonare di tromba. This is a remarkable book considering that it is the first time in which the trumpet is introduced as a solo instrument with continuo accompaniment. Therefore, marking a shift to emphasis soloistic playing rather than courtly trumpet ensembles. Generally, the notation for the trumpet was in the clarino register due to the ability to play stepwise melodies.
Classical Period
In 1792, the most significant experimentation of trumpets began with Anton Weidenger who was a court opera player in Vienna. Eventually leading to the technological advancement of the new ability to add chromatic pitches. The keyed trumpet was extraordinary in the sense that it began the journey of new compositional techniques for the trumpet. As a demonstration of this newfound ability; Franz Joseph Haydn and Johann Nepomuk Hummel, wrote trumpet concertos for Mr. Weidinger. In which he toured these pieces throughout Europe approximately from 1800-1805. The significance of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto is seen in the opening melody of the trumpet soloist,
This figure was the first time that an audience heard the major 2nd intervals in the lower range of the trumpet. Audiences and critics admired Mr. Weidinger’s playing, yet were still wary of the ‘radical’ way of playing a keyed trumpet (Christensen 10). Nonetheless, by 1820 the keyed trumpet went out of fashion because of the new, piston-valve trumpet. Which is simply, the early version of the modern-day trumpet.
The Romantic Period
Patented in 1818 by Heinrich Stölzel and Friedrich Blühme, the advancement of the piston-valve trumpet, revolutionized trumpet music. The piston-valves truly allowed all twelve chromatic pitches and the seven harmonic series to be played on the instrument. Therefore, providing new opportunities for compositional technique.
The cornet first appeared in Paris, France around 1825. At first, cornets were rarely used in orchestras because it was thought to be demeaning, due to the nobility and high class of trumpet playing. Hector Berloiz was the first composer to incorporate the cornet in ‘art’ music. In his treatise on Instrumentation and Orchestration, Berlioz’ impression of the cornets usage in orchestration is,
“ … The cornet is very popular in France at the moment, particularly in that musical world where loftiness and purity of style are not thought of as truly essential qualities… and since its timbre has neither the nobility of the horn nor the pride of the trumpet, it is rather difficult to introduce the cornet to the elevated melodic style… It serves then to complete trumpet chords, and to contribute to the orchestra groups of notes, whether diatonic or chromatic, which because of their speed would be unsuitable for trombones or horns. The normal practice is to write two parts for cornets, often in two different keys… “ (Berlioz).
Throughout his compositions, Berloiz made great use of the cornet. Unfortunately, he rarely made the instrument a true soloist. Generally, he would give the trumpet parts the supporting role of the cornets.
Separating the trumpet and cornet was highly common during this period. For example, at the Paris Conservatoire, there is a trumpet professor and a cornet professor. The Russians separated the trumpets and cornets as well. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, commonly orchestrated two cornets and two trumpets. Oftentimes, the cornet was treated as a soloistic instrument and the trumpets accompanying the cornet. The idea of orchestrating in this manner was that the cornet was a virtuosic instrument while the trumpets were to be played on natural trumpet. Some of Tcahikovsky’s well known pieces incorporate this type of instrumentation; Capriccio Italian, Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet.
The trumpet has evolved in many ways. During the Baroque Period it was commonly played in courts and considered a noble instrument. The clarino register was especially praised and took years of training. While in the Classical Era, the experimentation of the keyed trumpet paved way for the earliest usage of the modern instrument. The Romantic Period utilized the trumpet and cornet and is the solid foundation for how the instrument is orchestrated today. The compositional techniques changed as the instrument advanced with technology. It is exhilarating to imagine the advancement of the instrument in the unknown future.
Works Cited
Baines, Anthony C., and Arnold Myers. "Cornet (i)." Grove Music Online. 2001. Oxford University Press. Date of access 8 May. 2020, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000006509
Bate, Philip. The Trumpet and Trombone: An Outline of Their History, Development, and Construction. London: Ernest Benn Limited, 1978.
Berloiz, Hector. Treatise on Instrumentation and Orchestration. Translated by Michael Austin. http://www.hberlioz.com/Scores/BerliozTreatise.html#Orchestra
Bendinelli, Cesare. The Entire Art of Trumpet Playing (MS, 1614), translation of Tutta l'azte and critical commentary by Edward H. Tarr. Nashville: The Brass Press, 1975.
Christensen, Chase T. (2016) "The Effects of Trumpet Construction on Literature from Antiquity through the Classical Period," Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 20 , Article 5. Available at: https://openspaces.unk.edu/undergraduate-research-journal/vol20/iss1/5
Dahlqvist, Reine. "Weidinger, Anton." Grove Music Online. 2001. Oxford University Press. Date of access 8 May. 2020, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000030023
Haydn, Franz J. “Trumpet Concerto.” 1796. Image.
Roseborrough, Andrew Jay, "The Modern Pedagogical Potential of the Baroque Natural Trumpet" (2010). Open Access Dissertations. 411. https://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_dissertations/411
Tarr, Edward H. "Bendinelli, Cesare." Grove Music Online. 2001. Oxford University Press. Date of access 8 May. 2020, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000002642
Tarr, Edward H. "Fantini, Girolamo." Grove Music Online. 2001. Oxford University Press. Date of access 8 May. 2020, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000009297
Tarr, Edward H. The Trumpet. Hickman Music Editions, 2008.
Wenger, Alan. Trumpet Lesson, 16 April 2020, Warrensburg, MO. Lecture.