Southern Illinois University Carbondale

OpenSIUC
Research Papers Graduate School

2014

Scholarly Program Notes

Aaron T. Moore
Southern Illinois University Carbondale, [email protected]

Follow this and additional works at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp

This is my revised draft.

Recommended Citation
Moore, Aaron T., "Scholarly Program Notes" (2014). Research Papers. Paper 519.
http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp/519

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at OpenSIUC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Research Papers by
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 SCHOLARLY PROGRAM NOTES

by

Aaron Timothy Moore

B.M.E., Southern Illinois University, 2008

A Research Paper
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Master of Music Degree

School of Music
in the Graduate School
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
August 2014
 RESEARCH PAPER APPROVAL

SCHOLARLY PROGRAM NOTES

by

Aaron Timothy Moore

A Research Paper Submitted in Partial

Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of

Master of Music

in the field of Music Performance

Approved by:

Dr. Robert Allison, Chair

Dr. Richard Kelley

Mr. Edward Benyas

Graduate School
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
April 24, 2014
AN ABSTRACT OF THE RESEARCH PAPER OF

AARON TIMOTHY MOORE, for the Master of Music degree in TRUMPET

PERFORMANCE, presented on MARCH 7, 2014 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

TITLE: SCHOLARLY PROGRAM NOTES

MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Robert Allison

This document presents information related to the trumpet recital given by trumpeter

Aaron Moore on March 7, 2014. Biographical information, common performance practice,

analysis of the works, and other pertinent information is presented in an effort to gain a greater

understanding that will result in the most accurate, appropriate and musical performance of the

selections. Program notes for Giuseppe Torelli’s Sonata G1 for Trumpet, Strings and Continuo,

Joseph Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E flat major, George Enesco’s Legend, and Alexander

Arutunian’s Trumpet Concerto are presented within this document.

i
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

ABSTRACT.………………………………………………………………………………………i

LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………………………iii

CHAPTERS

CHAPTER 1 – Introduction.................................................................................................1

CHAPTER 2 – Giuseppe Torelli .........................................................................................9

CHAPTER 3 – Joseph Haydn ............................................................................................12

CHAPTER 4 – Georges Enesco ........................................................................................16

CHAPTER 5 – Alexander Arutunian ................................................................................18

BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................................................20

VITA ............................................................................................................................................22

ii
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE PAGE

Figure 1…………………………………………………………………………………………....2

Figure 2…………………………………………………………………………………………....3

Figure 3…………………………………………………………………………………………....4

Figure 4…………………………………………………………………………………………..13

iii
 1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

For this recital, the writer has programed solo trumpet music from the Baroque, Classical,

Romantic and Modern Eras. These selections were programed on this master’s recital in an effort

to give the most comprehensive and well-rounded recital possible. These selections allow one to

demonstrate proficiency across a wide array of musical styles and periods. The recital is

programed chronologically. The first piece, Sonata G1 by Giuseppe Torelli, written in 1690, is

from the Baroque Era. The second piece, Trumpet Concerto in E flat Major by Joseph Haydn,

written in 1796, is from the Classical Era. The third piece, Legende by Georges Enesco, written

in 1906, could be considered an early Modern Era French Impressionistic work. The final piece

on the recital is Alexander Arutunian’s Concerto for Trumpet, which was written in 1950.

In the beginning, there were many versions of the trumpet. The Israeli ram’s horn, the

Shofar, is one of the earliest examples of such an instrument. The Shofar is still played today in

“an uninterrupted tradition of almost five-thousand years.”1 The best-known historical example

of the Shofar being played was at the Battle of Jericho according to John Wallace and Alexander

McGrattan in their book, The Trumpet. Two trumpets, which date from around 1324 BCE, were

found in Tutankhamun’s tomb. These are the earliest verified trumpets.2 Virtually every ancient

civilization had some form of lip-vibrated aerophone that could be considered a precursor to a

modern day brass instrument. Some other lip-vibrated aerophones from around the world are the

1
John Wallace and Alexander McGrattan, The Trumpet (New Haven and London: Yale
University Press, 2011), 6.
2
Ibid., 12.
 2

serpent, sackbut, lur, vuvuzela, didgeridoo, alphorn, and the cornetto or zink. All of these

instruments are somewhat crude or unrefined in comparison to modern day brass instruments.

They are similar in that they all create sound by initiating a column of air resonating through the

vibration of the lips. It was not until the early sixteenth century that we began to see the valve-

less, keyless, vent-less natural trumpet.

Figure 1. Natural Trumpet3

The Baroque or natural trumpet that would have been used on Torelli’s Sonata G1

consists of three long tubular sections or “yards” connected by two “bows.” The mouthpiece is

inserted into one end of the first yard, this section then transitions to the first bow. The first bow

transitions to the second yard, which terminates at the second bow. The second bow then

transitions to the final yard or bell section. The bell yard and the first yard have a block of wood

placed between them that is bound by a cotton rope. The block and rope work together to provide

the trumpet with a considerable degree of rigidity.4

3
Picture of a natural trumpet. http://saisaibatake.ame-
zaiku.com/musical_instruments/wind_instruments_naturaltrumpet.html
4
Don L. Smithers, The Music and History of the Baroque Trumpet before 1721 (Southern
Illinois University Press, 1988), 25-26.
 3

This version of the instrument enjoyed widespread popularity and remained largely

unchanged over the next three hundred years.5 The natural trumpet was limited to the notes of

the harmonic series. See Figure 2 below for an example of the harmonic series with the

fundamental note of C. Due to the nature of the harmonic series a conjunct melody can only be

played starting the third octave above the fundamental. Even in that register the subdominant is

missing and is instead a tri-tone above the tonic.

Figure 2. Harmonic Series6

This aspect of the trumpet encouraged trumpeters to develop the technique of playing in the

upper or “clarino” register. In the upper register, the natural trumpet was capable of playing

melodic lines. Baroque Era composers consequently began writing more music for the trumpet in

the clarino register. The key of the natural trumpet was determined by changing the bows or

crooks of the instrument, with D and C being the most common. Composers such as Bach,

Telemann, Handel, Gabrieli, Fantini and Torelli wrote music for the Baroque or natural trumpet.

5
John Wallace and Alexander McGrattan, The Trumpet (New Haven and London: Yale
University Press, 2011), 36.
6
The Harmonic Series. http://cnx.org/content/m11118/latest
 4

One of the most prolific Italian composers of music for the natural trumpet was Giuseppe Torelli,

who wrote twenty-eight trumpet concertos.

As the eighteenth century drew to an end, composition was evolving rapidly in its

harmonic complexity. Due to the limitations of the natural trumpet, trumpeters were relegated to

playing the tonic, dominant, tonic openings and cadential points with an occasional flourish in

the upper register. A perfect example of this type of writing is the trumpet part in the finale of

Joseph Haydn’s Symphony 94 (see figure 3).

Figure. 3 Trumpet excerpt from Haydn’s Symphony 94, Fourth Movement7

Repertoire for other instruments was becoming much more harmonically diverse and complex.

Concurrently, clarino trumpet playing was falling out of favor with composers. A desire began

percolating amongst trumpeters to develop an instrument that could play chromatically.

It is unclear who exactly created the first chromatic trumpet. “The first known brass

instrument to be fitted with keys was the keyed horn devised by Ferdinand Kölbel.”8 According

to Dahlqvist, Kölbel’s attempts at the keyed horn date between 1756 and 1770. This instrument

7
Joseph Haydn, Symphony 94
(http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/8/82/IMSLP307377-PMLP29257-
SET_OF_PARTS.pdf )
8
Reine Dahlqvist, The Keyed Trumpet and It’s Greatest Virtuoso, Anton Weidinger (The
Brass Press, 1975), 4.
 5

was difficult to play and manufacture, as well as expensive to produce, thus it never gained

popularity.

There were subsequent attempts to create a chromatic trumpet. Towards the beginning of

the nineteenth century in England, a natural trumpet was fitted with a slide that lowered pitches

up to a whole tone; this horn was named the “flatt” horn.9 The nomenclature, flatt horn, is

derived from the instrument’s ability to play in minor (flatt) keys. This was accomplished

through the lowering of pitches with the slide. Englishman John Hyde fitted this horn with a

tensioned clock spring mechanism so that the slide could be “kicked out” for specific notes, and

due to the mechanism the slide would return automatically. This instrument was called the

English slide trumpet. “The length of the slide was such that it could be used not only to correct

the 11th and 13th harmonics, but it could also lower all open notes by a semitone and some by a

whole tone.”10 Henry Purcell wrote music that utilized the slide trumpet, most notably, Music for

the Funeral of Queen Mary.

There were many people in addition to Ferdinand Kölbel who developed keyed trumpets.

Reine Dahlqvist says that Johann Ernst Altenburg observed the court trumpeter of Weimar,

Schwanitz, playing a trumpet, “on which a’ and b’ could be sounded perfectly in tune, by means

of a little leather slider over the aforementioned opening.”11 In the 1780’s, a German named

Ernst Kellner was reported to have played a horn with finger holes, which allowed him to

complete a diatonic scale. Chrisoph Friedrich Nessmann, developed a version of the keyed

9
Phillip Bate, The Trumpet and Trombone (Ernest Benn Limited, 1966), 116.
10
Ibid., 116.
11
Reine Dahlqvist, The Keyed Trumpet and It’s Greatest Virtuoso, Anton Weidinger (The
Brass Press, 1975), 8.
 6

trumpet in the 1790’s that he dubbed the Inventionstrompete.12 Records are not accurate enough

to determine the exact origin of the keyed trumpet, but it is agreed upon that Anton Weidinger

was the instrument’s foremost performer.

Born in Vienna in 1767, Anton Weidinger was the most popular and well-known

performer on the keyed trumpet. Weidinger was educated by the court trumpeter of Vienna, Peter

Neuhold. Based upon his early release from apprenticeship and his accompanying letter,

Weidinger was apparently a pupil of considerable talent. In Weidinger’s letter of release,

Neuhold stated, “Through good conduct and his own diligence he reduced his period of

apprenticeship and became so skilled that he can give full satisfaction, not only in military

service in the field, but also at great courts, wherever they may be.”13

Weidinger and Haydn were close friends. This is based upon the fact that Haydn was an

official witness when Weidinger was married on February 6, 1797.14 Weidinger’s abilities on the

keyed trumpet were more than likely demonstrated to Haydn during the writing of his trumpet

concerto and served to inform Haydn as to what he could and could not write into his concerto.

Compared to its predecessor, the natural trumpet, and the valve trumpets that came after,

the keyed trumpet was much less popular and was not utilized on a large scale. Weidinger’s

instrument had holes drilled into the tubing at nodal points that were then covered and opened by

keys. When vented, these holes took away from the quality of the sound but greatly increased the

number of pitches that were playable in the lower register of the trumpet. Few pieces were

12
Reine Dahlqvist, The Keyed Trumpet and It’s Greatest Virtuoso, Anton Weidinger (The
Brass Press, 1975), 4-10.
13
Ibid., 10.
14
Ibid., 11.
 7

written for the instrument. The most notable are the concertos by Joseph Haydn and Johann

Nepomuk Hummel, and to a lesser extent, Concertante in E-flat by Leopold Kozeluch. The

invention of the keyed trumpet made it possible for the trumpet to play chromatically and paved

the way for the next evolution in trumpet technology.

By the 1830’s, valve trumpets had become the standard. These instruments used piston or

rotary valves with holes cut in them that redirected the air to different lengths of tubing. This

allowed for the rapid alternation between different harmonic series. “The patent for the first

valve was taken out in 1788 by Charles Clagget in England.”15 There were many valve designs

in development during the years surrounding 1800. The general principles were the same; to

redirect the air to a longer length of tubing thereby lowering the pitch, but the designs varied.

Different regions produced different valve designs. Some examples of the regional varieties are

the Stölzel Valve, invented by Heinrich Stölzel in 1815; the Vienna Valve, invented by Leopold

Uhlmann in 1830; the Berliner-Pumpen, invented by Wilhelm Wieprecht in 1835; the Schuster

‘Box’ Valve, thought to be invented by Stolzel and Blühmel, manufactured by the firm of W.

Schuster; and the Swivel Valve, invented by John Shaw in 1838. Stölzel might have been the

first person with the vision for the importance of the valve trumpet. “In a letter to King Frederick

William III of Prussia announcing his invention, he stated: ‘I believe that I do not exaggerate in

promising…that by means of these instruments, music may be made which will astound the

world.’”16 The Périnet Valve, invented by Francois Périnet in 1839, is the design that was proven

most effective and is used on modern day instruments. Like the Berliner-Pumpen, the Périnet

15
John Wallace and Alexander McGrattan, The Trumpet (New Haven and London: Yale
University Press, 2011), 40.
16
Ibid., 40-43.
 8

Valve used curved inner passageways. The Périnet Valve improvements included passageways

set on the diagonal, which allowed for the same bore as the surrounding tubing. This resolved the

sluggishness that was inherent to the Berliner-Pumpen. Enesco’s Legend and Arutunian’s

Concerto for Trumpet were both written modern trumpets equipped with valves based off of the

Périnet Valve.
 9

CHAPTER 2

SONATA G1 FOR TRUMPET BY GIUSEPPE TORELLI

Giuseppe Torelli (1658-1709) was born in Verona, at that time a city-state in the

Northeast of modern day Italy. Much about his early life is unknown, and there are mixed

accounts with regards to some of his early dates. It is known that he moved from Verona to

Bologna, another Northern Italy region city-state in the 1680’s. There, he was hired as a violinist

for the Accademia Filarmonica and for the church of San Petronio.17 Bologna was a major

cultural center in Europe in the latter part of the seventeenth century. The orchestra at San

Petronio held a very high reputation and employed musicians/composers who would often write

for the ensemble. These musicians notably included Giuseppe Torelli, Domenico Gabrielli and

Giacomo Antonio Perti.18

Torelli is best known for his contributions to the development of the instrumental

concerto. He composed many solo concertos as well as concerti grossi, and was one of the most

prolific composers of solo trumpet music in the Baroque Era, having written twenty-eight

trumpet concertos in all.

Sonata G1 was originally composed for natural trumpet accompanied by strings and

continuo. Today it is often played on piccolo trumpet with piano accompaniment. This piece,

though generally brief and light, contains a great deal of energy and beauty.

This performance of Sonata G1 for Trumpet was on the modern piccolo trumpet in A

rather than a traditional natural trumpet. The score, written for trumpet in D, was transposed up a

17
Grove Music Online, s.v. “Giuseppe Torelli,” (by Anne Schnoebelen and Marc
Vanscheeuwijck), http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com (accessed Dec. 16, 2013).
18
Eugene Enrico, The Orchestra at San Petronio in the Baroque Era (Washington D. C.:
Smithsonian Institution Press, 1976). 1-2.
 10

fourth to be played on the modern instrument. Every effort is made to keep the stylistic

interpretation accurate and congruent with the common performance practices of the Baroque

Era. Ornamentation is of great importance when performing a work from this time period.

Baroque ornaments are usually started on the beat on the diatonic upper-neighbor to the written

note. Stylistic decisions such as this are crucial to a successful performance of a Baroque trumpet

concerto like Sonata G1.

The form of Sonata G1 reflects a typical Baroque four-movement Sonata da chiesa (slow,

fast, slow, fast). The Sonata da chiesa, or “church sonata”, was a common form used in Baroque

Era instrumental compositions.19 The first movement of Sonata G1 is marked Andante. The

accompaniment is simple and plays repetitive short motives that the trumpet responds to in a call

and response type fashion. This first movement is played in a lyrical cantabile style. Only a few

motives comprise the short movement. Notable features of this movement include the cantabile

clarino style, dynamic contrast, and ornamentation.

The second movement, marked Allegro, is a fugue. It is full of quick ascending and

descending sequences that move into the upper range of the instrument. This movement is

rhythmically driving and exciting. Care has to be taken by both the trumpeter and the pianist to

stay very light in this movement so as to not weigh down its rhythmic buoyancy.

The third movement is marked Grave and is in ¾ time. This movement is in a minor key

and contrasts the major diatonic tonalities of the other movements. The trumpet is tacet in this

movement which is common in works for Baroque trumpet as it allows the performer to rest their

embouchure before the final movement.

19
Grove Music Online, S.v. “Sonata da chiesa” (by Sandra Mangsen),
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com (accessed Apr. 11, 2014).
 11

The fourth and final movement is marked Allegro. The most intriguing aspect of this

movement is the way it briefly modulates. In measure seventeen, Torelli modulates briefly to

concert E major for two measures. Shortly thereafter he gives us the same arpeggiated E chord

but in E minor this time. This is but a brief sojourn before we return to D major to end the piece.
 12

CHAPTER 3

TRUMPET CONCERTO IN E FLAT MAJOR BY FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was one of the most prolific composers of the Classical Era.

Oxford Music Online divides Haydn’s biography chronologically into background/childhood,

Vienna, Esterhazy, London, and return to Vienna. The details of Haydn’s biography are

extensive and beyond the scope of this document, therefore, focus will be placed on the

biographical elements surrounding his Trumpet Concerto in E flat.

Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E flat Major (1796) was composed later in Haydn’s life,

upon his move back to Vienna. It was his last major orchestral work. This fact speaks to the level

of maturity and experience that Haydn brought to the piece at the time of its composition. The

earliest known performance of the concerto was not until March 28, 1800, at the Burgtheater in

Vienna, Austria.20 This premier performance was by Anton Weidinger. Weidinger was a student

of Peter Neuhold, the chief court and field trumpeter of Vienna.21

Weidinger played the aforementioned keyed trumpet, which unlike its predecessor, was

able to play chromatically throughout the entire register of the instrument. There is much

speculation and uncertainty surrounding the evolution of the instrument that Weidinger played.

This instrument used holes drilled into the piping at specific nodal points that would raise the

pitch by letting the air escape, creating a shorter column of vibrating air.22 On the keyed trumpet,

20
Tracy M. Parish, “A Performance Interpretation of the Concerto in E Flat Major by
Joseph Haydn Based On Contemporaneous Writings and Period Performance Practice.”
(Doctoral Dissertation., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008), 12-14.
21
Ibid., 12.
22
William Russell, “The Keyed Trumpet.” William Russell.
http://thekeyedtrumpet.co.uk/background.html (8/14/13)
 13

only one key was depressed at a time, unlike modern instruments, which use different

combinations of depressed valves.

Figure. 4 Keyed Trumpet23

Since Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto was composed in 1796 and was not performed until

1800, one might infer that Weidinger needed the four years to work through the difficult

passages and experiment with how to adequately navigate them. “Haydn wrote the trumpet

concerto in his full maturity. It was his final orchestral work, after more than a hundred

23
Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Keyed Trumpet in G, Leonardo Massarenti.”
http://metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/503809 (8/14/13).
 14

symphonies.”24 His trumpet concerto represents the changes that were taking place with trumpet

technology at the time. He makes a point to feature the abilities of the new instrument.

Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto is in three movements: fast, slow, and fast. This symmetrical

organization of the solo concerto was common in the Classical Era. The first movement of

Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto is in sonata form. The orchestra plays the primary theme with no

introduction. The orchestra then meanders and develops this thematic material before the trumpet

plays the theme for the first time in measure thirty-seven.

It is known that “Haydn loved a joke.”25 Consider his Symphony No. 94, “Surprise,” or

his String Quartet Op.33, “The Joke.” This playfulness is evident in the first movement of his

Trumpet Concerto. The first three statements by the trumpet are, in order, a single interrupting

loud low concert E-flat. The next two statements by the trumpet are basic fanfares that could

have come straight from any Baroque Era trumpet concerto. Those first three trumpet blasts

stand in intentional contrast to the next section. The first full phrase of the piece reveals a low

register scalar passage that would have been impossible on the natural trumpet. In measure

seventy-four, Haydn writes a descending chromatic line in half notes with a relatively sparse

accompaniment. This is another instance of the harmonic capabilities of the new instrument

being featured. The development section begins at measure ninety-three with a restatement of the

initial theme in the relative minor key. Measure 125 marks the recapitulation in the home key of

E-flat major. This recapitulation is an exact restatement of the first theme. Clean and

uncomplicated use of the theme within the form helps to create the very clear symmetry and

organization of this piece, which is characteristic and indicative of a Classical Era concerto. The

24
John Wallace and Alexander McGrattan, The Trumpet (New Haven and London: Yale
University Press, 2011), 177.
25
Ibid., 178.
 15

end of the first movement is marked by a cadenza in measure 168 followed by a short coda

played by the orchestra.

The second movement, marked Andante Cantabile, reflects the lyrical abilities of the

keyed trumpet in E-flat. This movement is set in the key of A-flat major and is in an expanded

ternary form. The orchestra plays the cantabile theme in an eight-measure introduction before the

trumpet enters with the same theme. The development section begins in measure seventeen. It

modulates through several key centers and lasts for sixteen bars before the restatement of the

initial theme in the initial key in measure thirty-three. The last A section is similar to the first

statement of the A section material with the addition of some quick scalar embellishments. The

second movement ends with a four-measure coda.

It is worth noting that A-flat is the pre-dominant in the key of E-flat, the significance

being that A-flat is the highly problematic eleventh partial of the harmonic series with E-flat

being the fundamental. In the harmonic series the eleventh partial is a tritone above the tonic.

Due to the limitations of natural trumpet, it would have been impossible to write a movement in

the pre-dominant to the fundamental of the horn. The keyed trumpet can effectively navigate this

tonality, as is evidenced in the second movement.

The Allegro third and final movement is in sonata-rondo form. It features light and quick

articulations, ornamentation, and virtuosic fanfare-style playing. As in the other movements, the

orchestra starts straight away with the primary theme, theme A. This introduction builds towards

the first statement of the thematic material by the trumpet, which occurs in measure forty-five.

New thematic material is introduced in measure eighty by the trumpet. This marks theme B of

the rondo. Theme A returns in measure 125 with a complete and exact restatement of the original

theme A material. In measure 137 the orchestra begins to play the A theme again but is
 16

interrupted by the trumpet playing a portion of theme A in a different key. This is a short

development section carried primarily by the orchestra. During this section, the trumpet plays

small fanfare figures. The recapitulation comes at measure 181 when the trumpet plays the

complete A theme. In measure 200 the trumpet plays the B theme, this time embellished with

quickly articulated sequences followed by another sequence of octave leaps on eighth notes. The

trumpet plays a fragment of theme A in measure 238. This marks the beginning of the coda. The

orchestra develops through a few more key centers and plays with stark dynamic contrast. The

trumpet plays one more theme A fragment at measure 282 before the large crescendo building

towards the fanfare ending.

Haydn is very well known for his orchestral works, piano sonatas and chamber music. Of

the seventeen concertos he wrote, only four have stood the test of time, namely his two cello

concertos, a concerto for violin and piano, and the E-flat trumpet concerto. Of these, the trumpet

concerto is the most popular.

 17

CHAPTER 4

LEGEND BY GEORGES ENESCO

Georges Enesco (1881-1955) was a Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor,

and teacher. He possessed prodigious skill on the violin and piano but was very modest about his

talents. Of his many musical talents, he enjoyed conducting the most. He received his early

music education with violin lessons from a Romanian Gypsy. Enesco later studied composition

with Robert Fuchs in Vienna, and Fauré and Massenet in Paris.26 He spent much of his

professional life in Paris and is often described as a French composer. While accurate, much of

his cantabile writing is heavily influenced by Romanian folk music. Enesco was a true romantic,

as is evidenced by Legend and this quotation.

Be true to yourselves. If you have something to say, say it in your own way, and it will be
very well. If you have nothing to say, the best thing you can do is to keep silent. Do not
bother about the problems of renewal in art: progress in art can be achieved only given a
very long time. Do not seek a special language; look for your own, that is to say, for your
own means of expressing the feelings you have. Originality comes to those who do not
seek it.27

Legend, written in 1906, is dedicated to Merri Franquin, professor of trumpet at the Paris

Conservatory from 1894 to 1925. It is a concert piece in one movement and has three large

sections.

The opening cantabile section is full of lyrical melodies and is firmly in the key of C

minor. The primary motive reflects a Romanian Gypsy folk song influence. This nationalistic

26
Grove Music Online, S.v. “George Enescu” by Noel Malcolm.
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com (accessed Dec. 16, 2013).
27
Ates Orga, Philip Smith: Principal Trumpet New York Philharmonic (Sony Music
Entertainment, Inc. 1993). CD liner notes.
 18

quality lends to the argument that this piece is from the Romantic Era. The middle section takes a

radically different turn.

The middle section of Legend has a sense of rhythmic ambiguity about it. This does not

come from the use of rubato on the part of the performer but is rather a result of very specific and

complicated rhythms written by Enesco. Rhythmically, Enesco writes tuplets ranging from 3 to 7

and often times makes up-beats and other weak rhythmic placements become the beginnings and

ends of phrases. This intentional rhythmic ambiguity, coupled with heavy chromaticism, gives

the middle movement its early French Impressionistic character. Within the middle section are

two episodes of Impressionistic virtuosity. These are interrupted by the climactic restatement of

the opening theme an octave higher. Another allegro chromatic episode ushers the listener to the

somber conclusion.

Legend is regarded by many as one of the best pieces of art music written for the trumpet.

The cantabile sections are very romantic in nature and reflect a Romanian Gypsy influence. The

faster middle section reveals the French Impressionistic influence that Enesco encountered while

living and studying in Paris. Though written before the last piece on this recital, Enesco’s Legend

is the most harmonically advanced piece on the program.

 19

CHAPTER 5

CONCERTO FOR TRUMPET BY ALEXANDER ARUTUNIAN

Alexander Arutunian was born in Armenia in 1920 and died in 2012. Arutunian studied

piano and composition in Armenia, before later studying at the Moscow Conservatory. His music

is approachable and reveals strong Armenian folk music influences.

Arutunian’s Trumpet Concerto has become a favorite in the trumpet repertoire due to its

unique folk-influence, lyrical cantabile sections and virtuosic passages. The piece was written for

Armenian trumpeter Zolak Vartisarian, who died in military action before Arutunian had

finished the piece. It was instead premiered by soviet trumpet great Timofei Dokschitzer.

As stated earlier, the harmonic content of Legend (1906) is far more advanced than that

of Arutunian’s Trumpet Concerto (1950), even though it predates it by 44 years. The reason for

this is largely due to the state of politics in Communist Russia post World War II. Due to

government oversight and the establishment of a powerful government run union (The Union of

Soviet Composers), composers were required to abide by the Soviet ideal for how a composition

should be written.28 During this time the Soviet schools of music were seeking a sound that was

uniquely Russian and made an effort to avoid the changes in musical composition that were

sweeping Europe during the first half of the Twentieth century. This explains why Arutunian’s

Trumpet Concerto utilized a more romantic tonality.

This concerto is written in one movement but contains five distinct sections. The first

section marked andante maestoso is performed with a great deal of rubato and has a sparse

orchestral accompaniment. This section could be considered an introduction to the primary

28
Stanley Krebs, Soviet Composers and the Development of Soviet Music (New York:
W. W. Norton, 1970.
 20

thematic section. The next section, allegro energico, is where the primary theme is introduced.

This section is fast and technical and utilizes a unique form of minor scale sometimes referred to

as the Hungarian Minor or Gypsy Minor scale.29 The next section, meno mosso, is a beautiful

cantabile interlude with much of the same harmonic material, set in an expressive and slow

manner. The following Tempo I section might be considered the closest thing to a development

section that this piece contains. The tempo of this section is continually fast, but is broken up

into small contrasting phrases. The phrases contrast not in tempo, but primarily in dynamics and

articulation. In this section we see the primary thematic material in its whole at times as well as

fragmented. This material moves through several different keys in rapid succession. Next is a

second meno mosso section that features some beautiful melodies played with a mute for a

distinct change in tone color. The penultimate section starts as an exact restatement of the

primary thematic material but deviates slightly toward the end of the section by adding a quickly

articulated scalar passage that sets up the final section of the piece. The final section contains a

virtuosic technical cadenza that brings the end of the work to an exciting climax.

29
Kent Cleland and Mary Dobrea-Grindal, Developing Musicianship Through Aural
Skills (Routledge: Spi edition, 2010), 495
 21

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Arutyunian, Alexander, Conerto in A-flat for Trumpet and Orchestra. New York: International
Music Co., 1967.

Bate, Phillip. The Trumpet and Trombone, London: Ernest Benn Limited, 1966.

Cleland, Kent and Mary Dobrea-Grindal (2010). Developing Musicianship Through Aural
Skills. Routledge: Spi edition p. 495

Cosma, Viorel. George Enescu: A Tragic Life in Pictures. Bucharest: The Romanian Cultural
Foundation Publishing House, 2000.

Dahlqvist, Reine. The Keyed Trumpet and It’s Greatest Virtuoso, Anton Weidinger. The Brass
Press, 1975.

Enrico, Eugene. The Orchestra at San Petronio in the Baroque Era: Washington D. C.:
Smithsonian Institution Press, 1976.

Grove Music Online, S.v. “Aleksandr Arutiunian” by Svetlana Sarkisyan.

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com (accessed Dec. 16, 2013).

Grove Music Online, S.v. “George Enescu” by Noel Malcolm.

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com (accessed Dec. 16, 2013).

Grove Music Online, S.v. “Giuseppe Torelli,” by Anne Schnoebelen and Marc Vanscheeuwijck.
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com (accessed Dec. 16, 2013).

Grove Music Online, S.v. “Joseph Haydn” by James Webster.

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com (accessed Dec. 16, 2013).

Grove Music Online, S.v. “Sonata da chiesa” by Sandra Mangsen

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com (accessed Apr. 11, 2014).

Krebs, Stanley. Soviet Composers and the Development of Soviet Music. New York: W. W.
Norton, 1970.

Malcolm, Noel. George Enescu: His Life and Music. Toccata Press, 1990.

Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Keyed Trumpet in G, Leonardo Massarenti.”

http://metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/503809 (8/14/13).

Orga, Ates. Philip Smith: Principal Trumpet New York Philharmonic. Sony Music
Entertainment, Inc. 1993. CD.
 22

Parish, Tracy M. “A Performance Interpretation of the Concerto in E Flat Major by Joseph

Haydn Based On Contemporaneous Writings and Period Performance Practice.” Doctoral
Dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008.

Smithers, Don L. The Music and History of the Baroque Trumpet before 1721. Southern Illinois
University Press, 1988.

Wallace, John and Alexander McGrattan. The Trumpet. New Haven and London: Yale
University Press, 2011.

Russell, William. “The Keyed Trumpet.” William Russell.

http://thekeyedtrumpet.co.uk/background.html (8/14/13)
 23

VITA

Graduate School
Southern Illinois University

Aaron Moore

[email protected]

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Bachelors of Music in Music Education, December, 2008

Research Paper Title:

Scholarly Program Notes

Major Professor: Dr. Robert Allison