Fanfares and Finesse: A Performer's Guide to Trumpet History and Literature

by Elisa Koehler

Unlike the violin, which has flourished largely unchanged for close to four centuries, the trumpet has endured numerous changes in design and social status from the battlefield to the bandstand and ultimately to the concert hall. This colorful past is reflected in the arsenal of instruments a classical trumpeter employs during a performance, sometimes using no fewer than five in different keys and configurations to accurately reproduce music from the past. With the rise in historically inspired performances comes the necessity for trumpeters to know more about their instrument's heritage, its repertoire, and different performance practices for old music on new and period-specific instruments. More than just a history of the trumpet, this essential reference book is a comprehensive guide for musicians who bring that musical history to life.

Genres: Music

328 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The (very brief) section discussing drum & bugle corps was pretty goofy & outdated to someone like myself whose background & primary concentration is marching performance, but this book's mission was to explore the vast history, repertoire, and scope of trumpet performance, and in that Dr. Koehler succeeds. Reading this book felt like going to a good library, where you get overwhelmed by the amount of experience and information out there for the taking. Definitely a great guidebook & entry point for someone wanting to deepen their knowledge of trumpeting and high brass performance.

[Bobby Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a highly recommended and exhaustive history of the trumpet from antiquity to the present.