| Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Rachmaninoff and Lizst wrote great concerti. They have in common one thing......they were virtuoso performers who wrote solo vehicles for themselves. Their instrument had been perfected for centuries.
The valved trumpet is a "Johnny-Come-Lately." There are lots of Clarino works, but concertos for trumpet in it's present form are rare.
The cornet was the solo instrument of choice. Clarke, Williams, Levy and a bevy of soloist/composers wrote for Cornet and Band. There were no soloists playing and writing for the trumpet until the twenties. It is a pity Ives or some other composer of the period did not write a solo work.
Today's player/composers like Vizzutti and Ewazen are filling in the gap in the literature.
Wilmer |