Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Another Update
As promised, here is another brief update following a hectic week of rehearsals, recitals and concert-going!
On Thursday 1st March (always a sentimental day for a Welshman!) I gave a recital to a reasonably large and enthusiastic audience at St. George's Bristol, a wonderful chamber music venue with superb accoustics to match. Performing a programme of Fasch, Ravel, Enescu, Takemitsu, Bohme, Gallois Montbrun, Gershwin and Arban it was another great opportunity to show the audience what a trumpet is actually capable of - proving to them that it is not just a battering ram used to obliterate the orchestra at the end of the 1812 overture! On a more serious note, I'm always amazed by how well audiences respond to the more contemporary pieces. Takemtisu's Paths for example is six minutes of unaccompanied trumpet, but the work always seems to hold them gripped, even if (as happened in Bristol) my mute falls out at a key moment!
As a trumpeter, you are always eager to programme as much of the core repertoire in recitals as possible - Hindemith Sonate, Martinu Sonatine etc. but personally I find that an audience (unless wholly composed of brass players!) prefers several shorter pieces, but which still maintain a high level of musical integrity. It is also important to provide moments of light and shade in the recital, meaning that after the tension of a ruthless contemporary work something like Gershwin goes down a treat!
Well, enough philosophical discussion and back to the present, where future engements this week include a performance for graduation day at King's College London and 1st trumpet in The Messiah. At the RAM we have also been privileged to work today with Fergus McWilliam, 2nd horn in the Berlin Phil, and yesterday I performed for Amy Gilreath, professor of trumpet at Illinios Sate University, who paid the trumpet class a visit.
On Sunday I had the luxury of hearing one of Britain's top trumpeters, Alison Balsom, in a recital with Organ at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. As someone who is looking to emulate what Alison has acheived in her career, it was lovely to hear her played a varied programme, from Vivaldi and unaccompanied Bach to Hakim, Lindberg and Damase. One of Alison's great strengths is her ability to use a wide range of tonal colours in her playing, whilst always remaining in control. It is something that as brass players we should all inspire to - after all, as Maurice Andre said, we have a much greater dynamic range than a violin - whereas both instruments can play a ppp, only the trumpet can really play a good fff! I'll leave you with that thought....until next time....
Posted by Huw Morgan
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