Vulgano Brother

We're talking about 300 years ago, right? Consider for a moment the writings of Herbert L. Clarke and the recordings of him playing, from about 100 years ago. Note the vibrato Clarke used--it is extremely fast by today's standards, and is, in fact, too fast--a modern trumpeter would get laughed off the stage using that billy-goat vibrato, yet it must have been in fashion back in Clarke's time.

I would argue that there is nothing we can read that would suggest Clarke's approach to vibrato. I would also argue that while studying the different treatises can possibly get us in the ball-park in terms of style and sound, there is no way for us to predict that fuzzy thing known as "fashion," and it matters not what instrument we play.

When I lived in Germany I lived in a house that was only 100 years old, and had some friends that lived in a 400 year old house, but they had electricity and flush toilets and hot water on demand.

I see nothing "wrong" with using a piccolo trumpet for baroque works, provided that the result is musical. What is important is the message, not the medium by which the message is sent.

(By the way, I have an Amado waterkey on my old Meinl-Lauber Tarr model.)

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