Selected Duets For Trumpet Podcast

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 45 Number 11, Allemande, performed by David Summer. This third duet in the series by Joseph Boismortier is an Allemande. An allemande is a moderate tempo dance form that was popular during the baroque. An allemande is generally the first or second part of a suite, with a "suite" being a collection of dances. Again there are several "question and answer" sections, as we’ve seen in previous duets. But this time the "answers" start before the end of the "questions". This may prove to be a rhythmic challenge for a student along with the 16th note runs in the second half of the duet. The metronome setting for this performance is quarter note = 84.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 44 Number 10, Gigue, performed by David Summer. This second duet in the series of duets by Boismortier is another Gigue and again it's in 6/8 time at a fast tempo, played "in 2". The student may be challenged by the tied over dotted quarter notes in the last part of the piece. Once more, the student has to be able to hear continuous eighth notes in order to place all the eighths correctly. In this case, that's helped by the fact that the second trumpet part is playing eighths under the first trumpet dotted quarter notes. There are also several "question and answer" sections, as we've seen in previous duets. The duet is in the key of G with a brief foray in a minor in the middle and g minor at the end. The metronome setting for this performance is dotted quarter note = 88.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 43 Number 9, Allegretto, performed by David Summer. Joseph Bodin de Boismortier was a French composer active in the first half of the 1700s. Boismortier was one of the first composers to make an income from publishing his compositions rather than writing for a patron. Up until that time, financially successful composers wrote compositions, often on demand, for wealthy patrons. These patrons were usually royalty. Boismortier was the first French composer to use the Italian concerto form, in his six concertos for five flutes op. 15. For this performance, only the first repeat is taken and the metronome setting is eigth note = 112.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 42 Number 8, Maestoso, performed by David Summer. Maestoso, the defacto title of this duet, again means "march-like". Other synonyms include majestic, stately and dignified. This duet is also in 3/8 and includes some dotted 16th - 32nd note figures that are usually played with a slight detachment between the two notes. The range in the 32nd note runs may prove an insurmountable challenge for an inexperienced student. If that’s the case, the teacher may want to assign the trumpet two part, instead of the usual trumpet one part, for practice. The trumpet two part is actually a bit more rhythmically interesting in the second half of the duet than the trumpet one part is. The metronome setting for this performance is eigth note = 80.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 41 Number 7, Allegretto, performed by David Summer. This is another good duet for studying 6/8 played in 2. The student has to be able to hear continuous eigth notes in order to place all the eigths correctly. To help with this, the teacher might try playing the trumpet one part with all eigth notes for a line or 2 at the same time the student plays the part as written. This should help the student to understand how to subdivide 6/8 played "in 2". For this performance, the Poco meno (meaning "less motion" or to slow down) is ignored for the sake of students playing along with the trumpet 2 parts posted on the summersong.net website. The metronome setting for this performance is dotted quarter note = 92.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 40 Number 6, Andantino, performed by David Summer. This duet is in a time signature that may be unfamiliar to a student, 3/8. It may take some time for a student to get used to seeing and playing the 32nd notes. The teacher should point out that the 32nd notes are grouped into groups of 4 notes, as a visual affordance for 4 16th notes being contained within one beat. Andantino, the simple title of this duet, is a tempo that is slightly faster than Andante but slower than Moderato, Andantino being the diminutive of the word Andante. The beginning of the duet is marked pianissimo and melodioso. The melodioso marking indicating that the piece should be played melodically, with much expression. The metronome setting for this performance is eigth note = 84.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 39 Number 5, Tamburin, performed by David Summer. Nicolas Chédeville was an 18 century French composer who wrote many pieces for the musette or hurdy-gurdy. This duet, with its many scale passages, was probably well suited to the amateur hurdy gurdy players who were the target audience of Chédeville. Many passages in this duet are musical echoes. Repeating one or two measures, with the repeated passage being played at a softer dynamic, manifests the echo quality. The title, Tamburin, probably refers to a tambourine. The tambourine is a percussion instrument that has been used for hundreds of years. It was probably last commonly used in western music in the 1960’s as part of pop-rock. The metronome setting for this performance is quarter note = 92.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 38 Number 4, Rondo, performed by David Summer. Michel de la Barre, the composer of this duet, was also a famous flutist. He is credited with being the first composer to publish music for solo flute. This duet does have a somewhat delicate, flute-like quality to it. The duet is in the key of F# minor, with a brief foray into C# minor, and contains several E sharps and B sharps that should be pointed out to the student. This is a good opportunity for the teacher to review the concept of enharmonic notes. The held-over notes in lines 3 and 6 may also present a rhythmic challenge for a student. The teacher may want to assign both parts of this duet to a student since both parts are generally of equal melodic importance. The metronome setting for this performance is quarter note = 108.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 34 Number 1, Rondinetto, performed by David Summer. The composer of this duet, Louis A. Saint-Jacome, was also a solo cornetist and musical arranger. Originally from Paris France, Saint-Jacome moved to London, England where he worked as a musical arranger for the Messieurs La Fleur Publishing Company. While there, Saint-Jacome wrote his famous Grand Method For Trumpet Or Cornet in 1870. This comprehensive trumpet or cornet method book is still in wide use today, having been edited by another famous trumpeter, Claude Gordon. Later in his life Saint-Jacome became cornet tuner and tester for the Besson brass instrument company in London. This duet begins in the key of Bb and then changes to Bb minor in the Trio section. Usually this section is played a bit slower than the rest of the piece, but while making this recording I've kept the tempo consistent for the sake of the play along track that accompanies this podcast. In this recording, there are no repeats taken

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 30 Number 5, Allegretto, performed by David Summer. This is the last duet in the series of 5 duets by French composer Pierre François Clodomir. The teacher should take the opportunity to point out the various scales and arpeggios that are clearly present here. The student may need to be cautioned not to let the tempo run away on the 16th note runs and to watch the key change on the second page. Again, a light tongue is helpful here. The metronome setting for this performance is dotted quarter note = 80.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 28 Number 4, Allegretto, performed by David Summer. This duet, by Clodomir, should be played with a light tongue and strict observance of the staccato markings. These carry through almost the entire duet with only brief respites. These are marked dolce (sweetly) and grazioso (gracefully). There are also several key changes present. The piece starts in the key of g minor. Then, at the first “dolce” marking the key changes to the relative major, Bb major. On the second line of the second page of the duet, the key changes back to g minor with a descending figure that leads back into a restatement of the initial melody. The third page of the duet changes the key again, from g minor to the parallel major, G major. (This time the key change is marked) The second line of the 3rd page has another key change, from G major to the relative minor, e minor. This is short lived as the key goes back to G major before the Da Capo. An inexperienced student may find that the duet

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 27 Number 3, Allegretto, performed by David Summer. This next duet by French composer Pierre Clodomir consists of 6 short sections, with a key change in the middle of the duet. The second to last line also changes key, to D major, although the change is not noted in the key signature. An inexperienced student may be challenged by the Trumpet One rhythms in the second half of the duet being different from those in the Trumpet Two part. The metronome setting for this performance is quarter note = 120.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 26 Number 2, Moderato, performed by David Summer. This is the second duet in the series of 5 duets by French composer Pierre François Clodomir. When presenting this duet to a student, the teacher should point out the G arpeggio in the 1st and 3rd measures of the 2nd trumpet part. In both cases, these arpeggios are "answered" by a D7 arpeggio in the trumpet one part. The duet also features several scale sections, which briefly take the piece out of the key of G and into the key of Eb. The metronome setting for this performance is quarter note = 100.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 25 Number 1, Moderato, performed by David Summer. This duet begins a section of 5 duets by Pierre François Clodomir. Clodomir, a 19th century French composer, wrote a brass method book, published in 1870 entitled "Méthode élémetaire de cornet à pistons". In this first duet in the series, special attention should be paid to the syncopated 2nd trumpet part in the 4th line. Also, right before the daCapo, this duet contains a brief “question and answer” section, as we've seen in several of the previous duets. The metronome setting for this performance is quarter note = 100.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 24 Number 22, Giga, performed by David Summer. A Giga like the previously titled duet "Gigue" is a lively baroque dance originating from the British jig. Again, this is 6/8 time at a fast tempo, played "in 2". That is, heavily accenting the first and the fourth beats of the measure. The first section of the duet features some canonic, or imitative musical phrases. The metronome setting for this performance is dotted quarter note = 88.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 24 Number 21, Musette, performed by David Summer. A Musette is probably best known as the name of an instrument that is similar to a bagpipe. It was popular in the 1700's and used in a wide variety of music including chamber music and operas. The piccolo oboe, also known as the piccoloboe, the smallest and highest pitched member of the oboe family, pitched in E-flat or F above the regular oboe, is also historically known as an oboe musette. Finally, Bal-musette is a style of French music and dance that first became popular in Paris in the 1880s. Since this Musette duet is labeled as being from the 18th Century, it's probably named "Musette" because a Musette (the instrument similar to a bagpipe) was the instrument the composer intended the duet to be performed on. This is a good duet for students to practice counting and performing 6/8 meter "in 6" rather than the more common 6/8 "in 2". The metronome setting for this performance is eigth note = 96.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 23 Number 20, Minuet, performed by David Summer. This minuet, by Haag, is evocative of summer concerts in the park, especially in the trio section of the duet. Recall that a "trio section" is the third section of a piece and generally changes key, adding flats. "Trio" sections are especially prevalent in marches. The metronome setting for this performance is quarter note = 96.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 22 Number 19, Jumping Dance, performed by David Summer. This duet is reminiscent of the previous duets that were imitative of a hunting horn, except this time the image is meant to be of a dance that includes jumping in the air. There are some back and forth sections where, at times, the student will be playing alone. The metronome setting for this performance is dotted quarter note = 76.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 21 Number 18, Time Study, performed by David Summer. This is a rhythmically interesting duet because of all the meter changes. These are indicated in the unusual time signature. The almost constant meter changes can prove a real challenge for a student, but the duet makes an interesting study. This is an especially good duet to have the student practice both parts of. The metronome setting for this performance is quarter note = 100.

Selected Duets for Trumpet, Page 20 Number 17, Andante, performed by David Summer. This duet is simply entitled Andante, which translates roughly to "at a walking pace". The second part of the piece makes use of a simple, but effective descending line in the Trumpet 2 part, which nicely offsets the Trumpet 1 melody line. The metronome setting for this performance is quarter note = 92.