Sacqueboutier over at Symphonyshare has been posting the mother lode of brass music recently so I thought I'd make a long overdue contribution. This stereo Nonesuch album is the first record that I ever bought some, gosh 32 years ago maybe?? The Art of the Baroque Trumpet with renowned trumpeter and scholar of the baroque period, Edward H Tarr.
Edward H Tarr is one of the greatest name in the history of trumpet performance and scholarship. Spending many years combing the libraries of Europe, Tarr almost singlehandedly resurrected an entire ouevre of music that had all but disappeared. A very fine trumpeter to boot, Tarr "premiered" scores of works for trumpet alone, trumpet and organ and, trumpet and ensemble to audiences in a directed effort to preach the rich history that the modern day trumpet and its predecessors has played in musical performance, ceremony and innovation. His legacy was to take the trumpet out of the modern orchestra and employ it in surroundings that best captured its initial purpose in the cultural life of a bygone age. For more on Maestro Tarr, please see his website here.
The works on this record are richly varied, from Altenberger's wonderful Concerto for 7 Clarini and timpani to Handel's Suite for trumpet and strings (from the Water Music). Tarr, and colleagues perform on both valved instruments and the ancient clarino trumpet which has has neither keys or valves but is a hollowed instrument with holes and a "trumpet" type mouthpiece. The performances are lively and spirited though allowances need to be made for intonation. Trumpet playing on original instruments has progressed light years since these records were cut in the late 60's and early 70's. Again, I stress that we own Tarr a great deal or gratitude for his herculean efforts and, Nonesuch for releasing a veritable treasure trove of lps dedicated to the wonderful instrument that I happily call my own.
Enjoy this fine anthology. Listening today is every bit as enjoyable as when I first put it on my dad's Zenith console turntable in 1979!? I am old!
DOWNLOAD PART 1
DOWNLOAD PART 2
