trumpetnick

Many pianists would argue about the small amount of "buttons" we have I have been amazed and surprised by a Maurice Murphy's comment on transposing (which appeared on the Brass Herald Review) saying that whne he got his E transposition right his E flat transposition disappeared...Even after years and years learning all kind of transposition sight reading I don't think it is something easy...as Maurice said when you get used to one you may loose another.

The staccato is really a challenge, but te be honest I have never played the second part. I know the first one in C and have played it, but not the second one. But I have plenty of orchestral A part to play to practice my A transposing....Probably I should get to learn it one day or another....

__________________
Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

Vulgano Brother

Man, as quick as I am to thumb my nose at the Bb trumpet and grab my C, I'd be real, real, tempted to play it on the period horn in A. The big question is: "Can the group in general and the C trumpeter in particular 'time travel?'" It might not work if you're pitted against of post-millenium sounds.

I'd give it a try on the A, and be ready to play on the Bb. Aren't double cases great!

Have fun, and keep us posted!

__________________
www.letsbuildhope.org

TrentAustin

Thanks everyone for the tips. I ended up playing on my Bach MLV 65G with a 1 1/4C mpc. The first player played an Eb and I thought we did a good job of blending and also coloring when we wanted to. She's such a good player it was so easy to work with her.

Alrighty, gotta shed MacArthur park for my guest artist gig in Louisiana next week! No 1 1/4C for that ;)

Best,

T

__________________
http://trentaustin.com
Consultant, S.E. Shires Trumpets
Shires B59BLW "TA" model Bb trumpet
Adams Gold Brass Flugelhorn
Wedge Mouthpieces
PM me for an appointment to try a Shires!

Vulgano Brother

Try MacArthur Park on Eb. It's much easier, and you can use most of the same fingerings!

__________________
www.letsbuildhope.org

TrentAustin

Rofl!

__________________
http://trentaustin.com
Consultant, S.E. Shires Trumpets
Shires B59BLW "TA" model Bb trumpet
Adams Gold Brass Flugelhorn
Wedge Mouthpieces
PM me for an appointment to try a Shires!

MrClean

I have actually played this on my Bb converted to play in A. It takes a great deal of attention to just about every note to make sure it is in tune, but I find the funky timbre pretty cool and, well, somehow appropriate.

mazzrick

Just for intellectual comparison,

I never knew there was an A trumpet that Stravinsky might have wanted the part played on, but I started thinking about other pieces where the trumpet part is in A.

In the 1911 Petrouchka, a few movements are in La.
The Firebird (full ballet) is all in La.
Lots of L'histoire also in A.

Now all of those pieces are written before 1920 in his "Russian" period. Potential main influences, Rimsky-Korsakov, maybe Tchaikovsky, who both wrote nearly all the time in A.

Then Stravinsky went "Neo-classical," Symphony in C, Pulcinella... all in C. Obviously, the two trumpet parts in the Octet are very different, but has anyone thought that the desired contrast between the two trumpets might be similar to that of period style between Russian quasi-romantic (the A part) and Neoclassic (C) part??

Matt

ecarroll

Matt,

You're coming to a trumpet forum for intellectual comparision? What's gotten into you? (snapping my gum)

Interesting hypothesis. The A part is certainly written in a more long-lined "romantic" style than the C part. Stevie Burns (C) and I (A) played the Octet with Bernstein and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center years ago. Lenny made a strong point about not overly interpreting Stravinsky, noting that in his entire opus he only once broke down and gave up control, via an "espressivo" marking in the choral part of the Symphony of Psalms.

Perhaps Igor was more subtle than any of us thought?

Best and good to see your name here again. It's been too long (prod)
EC

ecarroll

TMers,

Please note the very different entry points into this old discussion presented to us by Mr. Clean and Mazzrick -- one an excellent professional and the other freshly entering professional life. THIS type of thought illustrates where we find art in what we do as interpreters, not by blindly imitating others.

Thank you Jim and Matt.

Best,
EC

MrClean

I don't mean to burst your bubble, Ed, but when I played it on "A" trumpet, I was a junior in college and only had a couple of days to work it up. The half-step transposition was driving me nuts at the time, so it was out of laziness that I tried pulling all the slides. . Sometimes sloth, rather than necessity, is the mother of 'some' invention. I really liked the clunky sound, though, and did it that way again years later with Robert Craft.

I do the same thing with Carmen. The first time I played the opera, I was playing second to Phil Collins with the Cincinatti Symphony (they split the orchestra in half to do opera and pops out at Riverbend, etc.). I had just graduated from CCM. Anyway, he's looking at me like I'm some kind of space alien as I start yanking out the slides of my horn, and I was the butt of some pretty good jokes that morning. Well, lo and behold, the next day Phil comes in with his Bb trumpet, slides pulled to put it in A, and that's the way we did it! Sometimes a fresh, naive approach is just the ticket for you (oops, I mean 'us' now) old dogs.

I need to remember to keep an open mind as my students walk through the door with new solutions to old challenges... Don't let anyone tell you "it can't be done that way" until you have tried it for yourself. That is, unless you want your butt kicked at the next audition or solo competition by someone who has been encouraged to use their imagination.

J