Trumpets and other high brass: a history inspired by the Joe R. and Joella F. Utley Collection

Abstract

"This fifth and final volume of the history of high brass instruments deals with the trumpet of the modern era. Starting with the earliest patents related to the modern piston-valve trumpet in Paris in the 1870s, it traces the trumpet’s initial struggles to disentangle itself from the cornet and shake off the reputation as an elite orchestra instrument, to its dominance as the most important high brass instrument of the twentieth century. Chapters are dedicated to the B-flat rotary-valve trumpet of German-speaking regions, low trumpets, such as the F trumpet and the bass trumpet, as well as trumpets in C and in higher keys. The history of the piccolo trumpet is explored, and the pocket trumpet discussed, as are various straight trumpet designs for parades and the opera stage. The book concludes with a juxtaposition of extreme ideas for the trumpet—heavy and light—at the end of the twentieth century by makers who are still active in the twenty-first century. Like the earlier volumes, the present one is based primarily on the Utley Collection, but includes examples from other collections at the National Music Museum and from some other museums and private collections. The subjects described in this volume are richly illustrated with numerous drawings, patent documents, manufacturer catalogs, and over 700 photographs. Trumpeters Lukas Beno, Vince DiMartino and Jeff Stockham bring selected instruments from the Utley Collection to life in the enclosed DVD"-- Provided by publisher.