My music buy for April is classical brass and as I did my research I was shocked. I come from a string background so the idea of solo and concert pieces for cello, violin, and piano seems normal to me. I knew that developments in instrument technology influenced music composition for strings. Bach wrote six suites for the cello one of which was written for a five stringed cello that is no longer used. And I knew that the modern piano did not exist in Bach's time, he wrote for the harpsichord and clavichord but for string music the size form and abilities of modern string instruments were basically standardized for most of the famous composers. The Amati Family of instrument makers had basically perfected the form by the end of eighteenth century.
But the brass family of instruments is different. There has been a continuous change in the form and abilities of horns from the beginnings of classical music in the 1600s with the straight silver horns and animal horns of the French Court to modern b flat valved cornets. I had never considered that industrialization would radically change brass music and instrumentation and change is still going on. Compared to the cello, violin, and piano solo works for brass instruments in classical music are relatively rare. But the seventeenth and eighteenth horns were still
primitive compared to the stringed instruments of the period. So much less music was written for them.
Another issue is the trend in recent classical music towards using original instrumentation meaning Haydn is played with eighteenth century instruments using eighteenth century techniques, rather than using modern instruments with modern arrangements. I'm not sure I agree, would Bach prefer a weaker cello with gut strings or a rebuilt cello with modern silver strings. So there are two classes of Brass music for the Baroque and Classical Periods,. One class is music played with modern instruments and the other is the same music played on period instruments. Oh well, these are just some of the concerns I found when looking for the 'core collection' of classical brass music. I think this buy just barely scratches the surface but here goes.
Classic Trumpet Concerti of Haydn and Hummel/Gerard Schwartz trumpetThis is a famous recording and both these Concertos were said to have been composed for the same great court trumpet player using new Trumpet technology.
Sound of Trumpets/Gerard Schwartz New York Trumpet EnsembleAnother famous recording but this time it is the Baroque trumpet music of Vivaldi, Telemann,
Altenburg,
Biber, and
Torelli.
Art of Baroque Trumpet Vol. 4 Niklas Eklund 'natural trumpet'More Baroque trumpet but played on a natural trumpet by a virtuoso.
Icon: Dennis Brain One of best French Horn players that ever lived.
His Mozart is a must listen to for horn players.
Vaughn Williams: Symphony No. 5 Three portraits Tuba ConcertoThis recording of John Fletcher on the Tuba is supposed to be special.
Premier! American Brass QuintetNew composers writing for a new medium Brass Quintets
British Trombone ConcertosChristian
Lindberg playing modern English works.
La Trompette de Toutes les MelodiesOne of the world's best solo trumpet players playing Baroque and Classical concertos.
Toccata and FugueSummit Brass plays Bach (and others) arranged for Brass Ensemble.
Italian Baroque Trumpet ConcertosHaydn: Trumpet Concerto etc.
