trumpetnick

Any one heard or saw this solo performed on a posthorn? Any recording with somebody doing that? I know that it is ussualy performed on a cornet or something similar but never heard it on postohorn...

GordonH

May be of interest:
Summer 2001 Newsletter

I would say that a cornet was right because it was developed fronm the post horn.

ellestad

Orchestral Excerpts for Trumpet by Philip Smith - Summit Records DCD 144.

I think that this recording of the "Posthorn" solo is nothing short of magnificient.

This is a wonderful disc to have.

Tim Ellestad

Derek Reaban

Nick,

While I don’t own this album, it might interest you. Douglas Hedwig has recorded a CD called The ART of the POSTHORN. He posted this information on the TPIN list last year. If you open the link you will see that he played with the Metropolitan Opera in New York for many years in addition to other ensembles. If you are looking for what the characteristic sound of a post horn is, I’m guessing that this would make for a very good introduction by a fantastic player. It doesn’t appear that the Mahler 3 solo is on the disk, but I’m guessing that you may find the inspiration for it in one of these recordings (sorry, I’m not knowledgeable to know which one specifically).

It looks like the disk is also available from Amazon:

The ART of the POSTHORN on Amazon


Hope this helps!

Alex Yates

For decades trumpeters have scratched their heads as to what instrument to use for this gorgeous excerpt. I have heard/seen this work performed live several times (lucky me!) and these particular players, after experimenting with cornets, Ebs, and even a real posthorn, defaulted to C trumpet. It can work since the distance factor helps make the sound more tender and unobtrusive. Also, most feel they have the most control and familiarity with the instrument they use for most of the repertoire. In this country it happens to be the C trumpet, and therefore many play it on that instrument. This is based only on my experience though. I also prefer to play it on C trumpet. I WOULD seriously consider a C cornet if I had one.

Mikey

I love Phil Smith's recording of this on his excerpts CD. He says he used a Getzen C cornet.

I've also heard ML do it on a rotary D trumpet. That also sounded great.

Alex Yates

Yeah, a C cornet would get my vote.

A rotary D must have sounded divine, but they are as rare to have in an arsenal as a post horn. ML played this for me in its entirety once when I visited Minneapolis and it sounded like velvet. This particular rendition was on his Prana C.

(Thanks again for playing that for me last year ML. It was gorgeous and remains burned in my mind's ear.)

stchasking

I attended a David Hickman clinic where I am pretty sure he had a student play this on a post horn. It was a coiled, three valve cornet.

How about playing this on a Flumpet?

josephus07

I played a performance at a summer festival where Matt Sonneborn (Naples, FL Philharmonic) performed the posthorn solo on a 3-valve posthorn in Bb. It sounded incredible, but that is more Matt than the posthorn! From backstage though, the timbre didn't sound INCREDIBLY different from most of the recordings I've heard using various horns and mouthpieces (but it did sound incredible!).

Jimi Michiel

Yes, Matt played so amazingly that the idiot second trumpet got lost and almost bagged the whole thing!