Alexander Arutunian Alexander Grigori Arutiunian ( hy, Ալեքսանդր Գրիգորի Հարությունյան), also known as Arutunian, Arutyunyan, Arutjunjan, Harutyunian or Harutiunian (23 September 1920 – 28 March 2012), was a Soviet and Armenian compo ...

’s Trumpet Concerto in A major (1950) is the

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

n composer's sixth major composition, a "virtuoso showpiece" composed in 1949-1950. According to J. Sundram, "it is an energetic powerhouse of Eastern European lyricism and harmonic textures". Arutunian's engaging and idiomatic trumpet concerto was "quickly assimilated into the standard trumpet repertoire worldwide, earning highest international praise from audiences, critics and performers". In an interview with

Allan Kozinn Allan Kozinn (born July 28, 1954) is an American journalist, music critic, and teacher. Kozinn received bachelor's degrees in music and journalism from Syracuse University in 1976. He began freelancing as a critic and music feature writer for ''T ...

of ''The New York Times'', Philip Smith, the former principal trumpeter of the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

, observed that Arutunian's Trumpet Concerto was frequently chosen as an audition piece at Juilliard. "One of the reasons this piece has become so popular..." Smith said, "is just that it's a flashy piece. It has a very gypsyish, Russian, Armenian kind of sound, with very soulful, beautiful melodies and plenty of exciting rapid-tonguing kind of things.'"A Natural for Outdoors (and Street Corners), By ALLAN KOZINN, The New York Times, August 1, 2000
/ref> * Professor Anatoly Selyanin related in 2004, "In January I headed the jury of an American competition devoted to the Arutiunian trumpet concerto. 34 trumpeters played only this concerto." Selyanin said that "even a dog", if admitted to a performance, would recognise the musical structure at once and "know that in eight steps the concerto will be complete"...

Structure

Arutunian's concerto for trumpet was conceived of and written as a single-movement concerto with an extended lyrical episode. The consists of seven major sections which are all performed without break: * Andante maestoso * Allegro energico *Meno mosso *Tempo I *Meno mosso *Tempo I * Cadenza & Coda The melodic and rhythmic characteristics of Armenian folk music strongly influenced all of Arutiunian’s work, but all of the melodies contained in the trumpet concerto are original (no borrowed folk tunes).

Instrumentation

The piece is scored for solo trumpet, 2 flutes (second doubles piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, timpani, percussion ( bass drum, cymbals, snare drum, triangle), harp and strings.

Performers

Premiere recording was made by Armenian trumpeter Haykaz Mesiayan of the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, and conductor Odyssey Dimitriadi in 1951. Recording by the Soviet trumpeter Timofei Dokschitzer was instrumental in making the concerto famous. He visited the US in concert and performed the concerto there, although

Roger Voisin Roger Louis Voisin (June 26, 1918 – February 13, 2008) was an American classical trumpeter. In 1959, The New York Times called him "one of the best-known trumpeters in this country." Performing career Among the most influential trumpet p ...

is credited with the US premiere of the concerto, performing it with the

Boston Pops Orchestra The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Symp ...

in 1966. Other noted performers of the concerto include: *

Maurice André Maurice André (21 May 1933 – 25 February 2012) was a French trumpeter, active in the classical music field. He was professor of trumpet at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris where he introduced the teaching of the pic ...

Alison Balsom Alison Louise Balsom, Lady Mendes, (born 7 October 1978) is an English trumpet soloist, arranger, producer, and music educator. Balsom was awarded Artist of the Year at the 2013 Gramophone Awards and has won three Classic BRIT Awards and thre ...

Tine Thing Helseth Tine Thing Helseth ( ; ; born 18 August 1987) is a Norwegian trumpet soloist specializing in classical repertoire. Career Helseth was born in Oslo. She started to play trumpet at the age of 7 in a school band and studied at the Barratt Due I ...

* David Hickman * Maurice Murphy *

Sergei Nakariakov Sergei Mikhailovich Nakariakov (russian: Серге́й Михайлович Накаряков; ; born May 10, 1977, in Gorky) is a Russian-Israeli virtuoso trumpeter residing in Paris, France, who came to prominence in the late 1990s. He rel ...

* Geoffrey Payne * Heidi Rogers *

Arturo Sandoval Arturo Sandoval is a Cuban-American jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer. While living in his native Cuba, Sandoval was influenced by jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1977 he met Gillespie, who became his ...

* Rolf SmedvigTRUMPET CONCERT: ROLF SMEDVIG AT Y, by New York Times, November 8, 1983 * Philip Smith, the principal trumpet of the

. * Lucienne Renaudin Vary * Michael S. Brown Jr.

Discography

CD

* Bernard Soustrot rumpet Philharmonic Orchestra "Des Pays de la Loire,"

Marc Soustrot Marc Soustrot (born 15 April 1949) is a French classical conductor. He was the music director of the Orchestre national des Pays de la Loire from 1976 to 1994, and from 1995 to 2003 GMD of the Beethoven Orchester Bonn which plays in both opera ...

onductor France: Pierre Verany PV. 788011, 1987. *Timofei Dokshizer rumpet The Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky. Bulgaria: TD - 950101- AT, 2000. *Jouko Harjanne rumpet Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Pekka Savijoki. Finland. *Arturo Sandoval rumpet London Symphony orchestra, Luis Has onductor USA: RCA Victor 09026-62661-2, 1994. *James Watson rumpet "The Black Dyke Mills" Orchestra, Roger Harvey rumpet USA: Doy CD 036, 1994. *Bibi Black rumpet Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Constantin Orbelian onductor England: Chandos CHAN 9668, 2000. *

rumpet BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Renes onductor EMI 6785902, 2012. *John Holt (trumpet), University of North Texas Symphony Orchestra, Anshel Brusilow, Conductor. Crystal Records CD769

LP

*Timofei Dokshitser rumpet The Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre, Gennady Rojdestvenskiy onductor USSR: Melodiya (D-025139), 1969. Also released as: USSR: Melodiya (SM-02273), 1970; USSR
Melodiya (S10-06785)
1976; Berlin, DDR: VEB Deutsche Schallplatten (SM-02273); Melodiya/Angel (SR-1-40149); *Vaclav Yunek rumpet Prague Symphony Orchestra, Vaclav Neumann onductorbr>Supraphon (SUF 20132)
1963. *Maurice Andre rumpet De l'Office de Radiodifffusion Television Francaise, Moris Suzan onductor France: STU 70714 A. Also released as France: STU 70915 B and Japan: Victor (vic-2015). *Concerto for trumpet and orchestra. Anatoly Maksimenko rumpet Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Boris Haykin onductor USSR
Melodiya 33D-015506
1965.

References

External links

* ttp://www.trumpetstudio.com/midi.html Concerto's Midi versionbr>Concerto at Trumpetmaster.com
{{Authority control Compositions by Alexander Arutiunian Arutiunian 1950 compositions Compositions in A-flat major