Fanfares and Finesse

Book excerpt: “A concise guide linking the history of trumpet to performance . . . includes information on band music, bugle calls, orchestral repertoire, and jazz.” —American Reference Books Annual 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. “A compendium of trumpet history with short, fact-filled chapters. It will serve both amateur and professional musicians alike, and few could read this text without learning something. Fanfares and Finesse is a thorough sampling of trumpet topics, including something of interest for every trumpet player, brass enthusiast, or curious reader.” —Pan Pipes “Trumpet players in a wide variety of situations and at many levels will find a great deal of useful information, presented in a clear, engaging, reader-friendly way yet backed by solid research. While some topics are covered in more depth than others, Koehler’s breadth of vision and thoroughness are commendable . . . For all trumpeters and anyone who teaches them.” —Choice