| "Penultimate" means "next to the last." I let it slide earlier, but this thread is taking on more weight, so I thought we'd better get straight what you actually meant to convey with that word. The audience hears the sound last, so maybe you meant the "ulitmate" tone of a trumpet, but I'm not sure. I think you're speaking of the trumpet sound the audience hears, not what the player hears.
This thread is really broader than "Calicchio", but I'm willing to discuss it wherever it resides.
I'd like to add that I think that a horn can have an excellent resonance from the player's point of view and still project well and present the audience with a rich palette of focused overtones. One reason I purchased my Selmer Paris is that I love the richness that I hear as a player. Also, it's very dynamic and responsive to the throttle. However, before I bought I got the chance to hear it in a large space played by a great player, finding it very attractive from that perspective also.
OTOH, I've played horns that sound positively dead from the player's perspective, but they actually sound attractive out front. Yamaha Xenos come to mind. The Yamahas are very sturdy and seem overdamped if you listen only from the player's perspective. For example, after I brought the Selmer home for audition I couldn't stand to play my Yammy Z (I know it's not a Xeno, but the Xenos display even more deadness, IMHO), because it seemed so lifeless in comparison. Yet, I know that the Z sounded good on recording and when I heard others play it.
Dave |