Florence Natural Trumpets

Tonight I heard a most sublime sound of perfectly played natural trumpets. In my wildest dreams I never thought I would enjoy this experience in my lifetime.
The concert took place just round the corner from my apartment in yet another auditorium. When I turned up, I was told by a lady in what seemed to be a navy blue cabin crew uniform, it was by invitation only. But if I hung around for a bit, they might invite me. Sure enough, they eventually invited me.

As an erstwhile acoustician, I have a decided interest in old natural brass instruments. They had no valves but simply used the harmonic series to get each note of the scale. The fourth octave of the harmonic series gives players just enough notes on which to play melodies so the old trumpets had to be long enough to bring this fourth octave down to a useable pitch. The art of playing these instrument died after the easier valve system was introduced.

About forty years ago, European players became interested in reviving the art of playing these old instruments but the performances were not satisfying as techniques were at a very primitive level. Since then, large advances have been made; much of it, I’m glad to say, due to some work in England.

So here we were listening at last to some results of all that progress by the Early Music Movement. We were not disappointed.

We were listening to a group who call themselves “Les Trompettes des Plaisirs” consisting this evening of three trumpets, baroque percussion and organ.

They began with early music from the seventeenth century, some with those repeated note cadences we’re used to hearing in vocal music. Later they progressed just into the eighteenth century.

Their technique was marvellous, especially the leader of the group. The intonation, which I have always been told is incredibly difficult to achieve perfectly, was so good that there was no way of knowing that there was any problem at all. Their lip trills were again perfect and very tasteful.

The music ranged through Fantini, Torri, Frescobaldi, and Mouret to Monteclair and Delalande. But they saved the two ‘pops’ for last: that Charpentier tune then that trumpet voluntary. They seemd to have no difficulty playing the sharpened subdominant after just playing thenatural. Both were perfectly in tune.

After hearing of all the problems playing these instruments, it was just amazing to see such facility in action . Just thirty years ago, this type of concert would have been unthinkable. If you did enjoin the affectation of listening to a concert using original instruments, it was often a very disappointing affair. Now it is an exciting event.

I was fascinated by the organ which had a range of beautiful stops and a very nice action. I went to talk to the organist as it sounded tracker. He said, “Yes, it’s a tracker action!!” I asked him if there was any difficulty with multiple stops engaged. “No, it’s very very light. Easy to play. Want to try it?” I obviously resisted the temptation!

I remember the tracker organ in our school chapel which had a trumpet stop so far away from the console that it was almost impossible to push a key down when it was engaged. It seems marvellous to me that they are building such superb instruments these days.

What an amazing evening!! This group are really advancing our enjoyment of early music.