ROGERIO

Playing Handels' Oratorio Judas Maccabeaus.

There is a movement for solo trumpet and voice in a minor key.

Does anyone know of other baroque trumpet works that are in a minor key??
Not transcriptions... but the real deal.

Contribution from another source:
Bach - Aria - No. 77

ROGERIO

Not much interest in this here :? , but in the "Herald" I received a few responses. Thought I'd share them with the "Master" folks.

From Pierre in Norway:
Hello,

There are several minor works originally written for trumpet. One can classify them in 2 groups:

(i) Works written for "normal" natural trumpet, just based in a tonality other than the written C major playable by the instrument. For example, the Biber duets alluded to by NE are in written G minor, taking advantage of the available (though flat!) Bb in the C-based harmonic series: C-G-C-E-G-Bb-C-D-E-F/F#-G-A-Bb-B-C...

One of the Biber sonatas for 1 trp and strings is in G minor, played on C trp. As mentioned, there is/are a few Bach cantatas also. Check CD's by Crispian Steele-Perkins, he has recorded quite a lot of more obscure works on nat, with a few minor pieces as well.

(ii) Works originally written for slide trumpet, meaning nat trp but with retractable leadpipe, not soprano trombone or the later English slide trp written for by Brahms and popular in England until late 19th C. The only works I can think of right now are numerous Bach cantatas and the very famous Funeral for Queen Mary by Purcell (trp quartett).

Actually, if you check the Purcell Musica Rara edition, you will see a very strange piece, in usual D major with available notes for D nat, only that the ending has a spectacular and exposed written Eb (concert F). Maybe intended for slide-trp or bent out of proportion from E by very skilled player?

But the large majority of baroque era works with trp. (including B minor mass!) are in major keys, with the occasional minor relative modulation in the middle section, but where the trp. has less of a soloistic role.

Hope this helps and that other more knowledgeable chime/correct in!!

Pierre

GordonH

Bach Mass in B Minor!

ecarroll

Gordon,

Very good. What a train-wreck it would be, however, if the trumpet parts were played in anything but D Major. . . (smiling wistfully)

Rog,

Let's keep in mind that the trumpet played an important symbolic, as well as musical, role in cantatas and oratorios. It was considered an instrument of God, and thus appears in celebratory moments (Gloria, etc.). Your Handel aria and the cantata that you cited are the only exceptions that I've performed.

Best,
EC

rowuk

Rogerio,
you started this before my time at TM, so I didn't see it. There are more than a couple!

Vejvanovsky: Sonata in g minor, among others that I do not have at my fingertips this moment!
Molter: 2nd Trumpet Concerto 2nd movement (perhaps one of the most haunting melodies ever written for trumpet)
Bach Cantatas: 24, 46, 48, 77, 103, 105, 109, 126

I played the aria from number 77 at a church service 30 years ago. The pastor had a heart attack during the performance, died on the spot. I am not superstitious, but will not play this in that setting again.

Heinrich Biber also has a vast amount of works, many of which are also in minor keys. It his collection of 12 sonatas for 2 trumpets, # 11 and 12 are in g minor (without the passing Eb however)

J.E. Altenburg has a Bourée for 2 in g minor also.

With proper training, chromatics are possible AND listenable on a natural trumpet. The horns with hand made tubes are easier to bend pitch on than the less expensive maschine drawn tubed ones. I believe the "imperfections" in bore and material tension are an advantage here!

Dr. Zink

Let us not forget the second mvt to the Franceschini. There are also some minor mode passages in some cantatas/choral works of Sebastien Knupfer.

Dr.Z

ROGERIO

WOW... just in time for Easter, you all have resurrected this thread... fortunately the Roman guards were asleep.

I had to laugh out loud on the B "MINOR" Mass post.... duh... I should have been a bit more specific... thanks for bailing me out Ed.

Rowik, I never know if you are right or not but I'm ALWAYS impressed by your posts. Thanks.

I'm not posting much these days but enjoy reading every day.

Best to all of you and Happy Easter (gigs). May all the checks you receive have a comma in them!!!!

rowuk

Rogerio,
I only post things that I experience first hand. I have a holey and unholey nat as well as all of the sheet music mentioned.

BrassOnLine

Hertel concertos for trumpet: second movement is in minor key.