ScottOpus PRODUCTIONS
ScottOpus PRODUCTIONS
TOPIC:- Clarino Trumpet by Kerry R. Scott
The "Clarino Trumpet" is in fact not a trumpet at all but rather a style or way of playing the "Natural Trumpet". During the Middle Ages two types of trumpet playing emerged -- that of "Principal-blowing"(sometimes called Fanfare-blowing) and that of "Clarion-blowing". When a reference is made to the "Clarino Trumpet" the reference is really with regard to "Clarion-blowing".
The "Natural Trumpet" range spaned four and a half octaves. The only way composers could write consecutive pitches was to confine the trumpet part to the third and fourth octave and it was the players that specialized in playing in those highest two octaves that gained the name of "Clarino" players. In fact many composers of the Baroque period indicated in their scores the type of player required for a particular part. J. E. Altenburg (1734 -- 1801) for instance in his Conzert für 7 Trompeten and Pauken calls for two choirs each of Clarine I, Clarine II and Tromp Principale. Claudio Monteverde (1567 - 1643) in the Intrada to his opera L'Orfeo, Favola in Musica calls for five Natural Trumpets labelled as follows -- Trompete I - Clarino, Trompete II - Quinta, Trompete III - Alto e basso, Trompete IV - Vulgano, and Trompete V - Basso (written in bass clef). However J. S. Bach (1685 - 1750) simply indicated that a trumpet was called for and the players themselves determined the type of player necessary.
The "clarino player" in fact also specalized dividing the Clarino range into two. The "Clarino II" player would play the notes in the upper half of the third octave and the lower half of the fourth octave; while the "Clarino I" player would play the whole of the fourth octave. Another division of the whole range was titled "Tromba" - this player played the notes in the third octave of the full range and most closely resembles the range of the modern trumpet (see topic Trumpet). It was this latter "Tromba" player that J.S Bach (1685 - 1750) specified for in his works but in performance the parts were in reality played by Clarino I and Clarino II players as the actual musical parts conformed to the range divisions seen above.
During the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and part of the Nineteenth Centuries most Royal Courts had Court Trumpeters. These so called "Professional Trumpeters" joined with the Military Trumpeters and Drummers to form guilds. It was the guilds that divided the trumpet players into "principal-blowing" performers (used for fanfares and military purposes) and "clarion-blowing" performers ("clarino performers"). They also developed a series of stylistic "rules" for playing "Clarini" parts. In particular they likened the "clarinist's" playing to the human voice, "striving to beautifully .... bring out" the "cantabile" (smoothness) and dexterity of the voice while maintaining a sweetness of tone. The Guilds also provided more detailed indications to the "Clarino" player. For instance they indicated that ascending pitch configurations were to be played in a detached way (tongued) but descending passages were to be "slurred". They also had advice for the composer writing for "Clarino" performers -- suggesting that melodies were to be kept short and divided between players so that the player's embouchure could recover from playing so high in the register.
"Clarino" playing stayed in vogue until the early Nineteenth Century when various efforts were tried to remove the restrictions of the "Harmonic Series" (see Topic Harmonic Series) from the trumpet. The Keyed Trumpet, and Slide Trumpet were both abortive instrumental inovations produced to "Chromaticise" the Natural Trumpet but in fact only hastened the demise of the craft of "Clarino Playing".
It is almost impossible for us today to dertermine how effective the historic "Clarino" players were. It is a very difficult task for a player even on a modern instrument to sustain smooth (cantabile) and "sweet" playing in the highest register of the trumpet. In fact those modern players that do specalize in the highest register of the trumpet are called "Screech Trumpeters" (see topic Trumpet). This title obviously speaks for itself in communicating the kinds of tones produced by such specialists.
It was not until the addition of "Valves" to the Trumpet that a true chromatic instrument was obtained. This was acheived in the middle of the Nineteenth Century and from that time until recently the Natural Trumpet and "Clarino" playing had lasped into obscurity. It is thought now, however, that authentic performance should be played on the instruments they were written for; and with that in mind a new interest has emerged in the old instruments particularly the Natural Trumpet and the lost art of "Clarino" playing . Performers are now revisiting the stylistic practices of the old art as indicated by the Trumpet and Drum Guilds of the time and intrument makers are again constructing accurate (but improved) reproductions of the old instruments. With new technical knowledge available it means that we can now hear how the performances were envisage by the composer.
The Trumpet and Brass Instruments feature significantly in the works of Kerry R. Scott. In particular the Music CD "Brandy Butter Brass and Bells" include a selection of Mr. Scott's compositions and arrangements of works that feature the natural trumpet and brass instruments. The CD also includes an electronic realization of the Conzert für 7 Trompeten and Pauken by J. E. Altenburg (1734 -- 1801).
Trumpet Voluntary
Further information on Kerry R. Scott's life and Compositions
A listing/portfolio of the music compositions of Kerry R. Scott
Further Information on The Tudor Rose School of Music
Further information on the Music CD -- Bubble and Squeak
Further information on the Music CD -- Rattle and Rhyme
Further information on the Music CD -- Beyond the Virtual Creation
Further information on the Music CD -- Brandy Butter, Brass and Bells
Further information on the Music CD -- The Old, The New, and an Eclectic Medley
Further information on the Music CD -- Mass 2100
Orchestral Suite from Mass 2100 and Mass 2100 original performance edition.
Further information on the Music CD -- Smphony No. ! -- Soundscapes of a Forgotten Britian
Further information on the live recording of the first performance of Mass 2100
Further information on compositional and composition commissions.
Further information on the stories and writings of Kerry R. Scott.
ScottOpus PRODUCTIONS