A trumpet recital : an insight into the works performed

Abstract

The objective of this dissertation is to give a short overview about three of my four trumpet recitals. The preparation for these recitals offered me a unique musical experience, as it was the first time in my life that I was asked not only to play but also to comment in writing on what I shall be playing. The programme chosen for my recitals reflects the work done during my three years study course at the Music Division of the University of Malta, at the same time, flanked by my studies at the Royal Northern College, where I was guided in new techniques which have revolutionarized sound, intonation and my personal repertoire. The programme chosen for my performances was thoughtfully structured in such a way in order to present a varied and balanced recital. It demonstrates various techniques in different repertoires belonging to different historical eras which normally baroque period, the classical period, neo-classical and contemporary period. The compositions chosen for the performance are Giuseppe Torelli's "Sonata in D Major for trumpet, strings and basso continua", the first movement of Joseph Haydn "Trumpet Concerto", Jean-Baptiste Arban Variations sur le Carneval de Venice", and finally the "Trumpet Concerto" by Alexander Arutiunian. Torelli is an expression of the late baroque period, Haydn's music opens the Classical period, whilst the French Composer Jean-Baptiste Arban is an expression of the Neo-Classical style of music whilst Arutiunian is a living illustration of contemporary trumpet music. Of all these four composers, only Torelli, Arban and Arutiunian will be studied in this dissertation. This was not an arbitrary decision but derives from the fact that these three composers where chosen for my dissertation study. In fact, they will be also performed in public. Yet, I felt the need also to mention in this introduction my other performance, that of Haydn, as it falls in the cycle of different epochs studied by my good self as part of my trumpet performance techniques. In fact, for the purposes of Music Division regulations, I had been requested to perform Haydn to test my abilities to play in a chamber performance. At the same time, playing Haydn meant that I was playing four different styles of music and, for this reason I felt that it is important to mention this Concerto in the introduction of this dissertation, before passing to the study of the three other composers. Furthermore, I would like also to specify that in this dissertation, I kept a chronological order to make it easier for the reader to concentrate better on the works performed. However, the performance followed another criterion. It was not dictated by chronology but by the different modus operandi present in these works. Thus, I have divided the performance into two sessions. The first session will be dedicated to the works of Arutiunian and Arban. Arutiunian will be played first whilst the Arban work, which is very melodious, is played as the conclusive piece. While the Arutiunian and Arban are accompanied by the pianoforte, the Torelli Sonata (to be performed in a different session) will be accompanied by an orchestra. The performance will be held in a resounding baroque church and will present the works in a chronological order: i.e., Torelli Sonata followed by Haydn's Trumpet Concerto.