Johann Nepomuk Hummel wrote his Concerto a Trombe Principale (''Trumpet Concerto in E Major'') for Viennese trumpet virtuoso and inventor of the
keyed trumpet
The keyed trumpet is a brass instrument that makes use of keyed openings in its bore rather than extensions of the length of the bore as the means of playing all the notes of the chromatic scale. The instrument's popularity reached its high-poin ...
,
Anton Weidinger
Anton Weidinger (June 9, 1766 in Vienna – September 20, 1852 in Vienna) was an Austrian trumpet virtuoso in the classical era, and a ''"k. k. Hof-Trompeter"'' (Imperial and Royal Court trumpeter). He was friends with Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven a ...
(as had
Joseph Haydn). It was written in December 1803 and performed on New Year's Day 1804 to mark Hummel's entrance into the court orchestra of
Nikolaus II, Prince Esterházy
Nicholas II, Prince Esterházy ( hu, Esterházy II. Miklós, german: Nikolaus II Esterházy; 12 December 176524 November 1833) was a wealthy Hungarian prince. He served the Austrian Empire and was a member of the famous Esterházy family. He is es ...
as Haydn's successor. There are places, primarily in the second movement, where Weidinger is believed to have changed the music because of the execution of the instrument. It is unknown whether this was in agreement with Hummel.
Originally this piece was written in E major.
The piece is often performed in E-flat major, which makes the fingering less difficult on modern E-flat and B-flat trumpets.
A typical performance lasts around 17 minutes.
Form
The work is composed in three movements (typical of a
concerto) and they are marked as follows:
* I.
Allegro con spirito
* II. Andante
* III. Rondo
Instrumentation
The work is scored for
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
solo,
flute, 2
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
s, 2
clarinets, 2
horn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
s,
timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...
and
strings.
See also
*
Joseph Haydn also wrote a
trumpet concerto for
Anton Weidinger
Anton Weidinger (June 9, 1766 in Vienna – September 20, 1852 in Vienna) was an Austrian trumpet virtuoso in the classical era, and a ''"k. k. Hof-Trompeter"'' (Imperial and Royal Court trumpeter). He was friends with Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven a ...
.
Notes
External links
MIDI filesHummel Trumpet Concerto - Maurice André, Ozawa, London Symphony Orchestra
John A. Rice, "The Musical Bee: References to Mozart and Cherubini in Hummel's 'New Year' Concerto
1803 compositions
Compositions by Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Hummel
Compositions in E major
{{Concerto-stub