Trumpet Concerto in E major (Hummel)

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Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837)

The Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra in E major ( WoO 1 or S 49; title: Concerto a tromba principale ) by Johann Nepomuk Hummel was written in 1803 for the Viennese soloist Anton Weidinger , who had the then unique possibility of chromatic tones on his valve trumpet to be able to play on the full scale. Nowadays it is often performed in the version transposed to E flat major (1957) and, together with the Trumpet Concerto composed by Joseph Haydn in 1796, is one of the most popular and most frequently performed works in the trumpet repertoire . The range of the solo part ranges from the pedal note E to the b 2 . The playing time is approx. 18 minutes.

Preliminary remark (keyed trumpet)

Around the turn of the 19th century, more attempts can be observed to help the trumpet, which is based on natural tones , achieve a continuous chromatic scale - be it through special tamping techniques , a pulling mechanism (as with the trombone) or the making of several holes covered by flaps. The aim was to be able to use the trumpet as a melody instrument in the lower registers by artificially adding the missing diatonic and chromatic tones. As sensational as these innovations appeared to contemporaries, they were still associated with a loss of sound, because the shortening of the air column made possible by flaps changed the timbre of the tone. The instrument also lost its power as a result, which Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy complained in a letter in 1831:

“I still have to make up for the trumpeters to continuously blow the damn keyed trumpets, which seem to me like a pretty woman with a beard or like a man with a bosom - she just doesn't have the chromatic tones and now it sounds like a trumpet castrat, like that matt and unnatural. "

The dilemma between the newly gained possibilities and the tonal-musical result was only resolved in the further course of the 19th century with the development of the valve trumpet , in which the air column is lengthened compared to the valve instrument and thus a tone of constant quality is produced in all positions . In addition, it turned out to be fatal for the fate of the keyed trumpet that the construction experiments were in the vast majority of cases tied to individual musicians who did not want to share their hard-won knowledge with other interested parties. Their appearance was perceived as a sensation, as was the case with Anton Weidinger (1766–1852), who had worked as the imperial court trumpeter in Vienna since 1799 and whose instrument could be read in the Leipziger Allgemeine musical newspaper in 1802 :

“According to public news, the kaiserl. Court trumpeter, Mr. Weidenmayer [sic], invented a trumpet with keys on which one can clearly and safely specify all half-tones through two octaves. "

Weidinger apparently enjoyed a high reputation as a soloist and was able to arouse creative interest among some of the most important composers of his time with his keyed trumpet. The Sinfonia concertante by Leopold Kozeluh (1798), with its pianoforte, mandolin, trumpet and double bass, made only minor demands in the trumpet part. Joseph Haydn explored the new melodic and lyrical possibilities of the instrument in his Trumpet Concerto in E flat major. The concert, which was written as early as 1796, was not to be heard in public until March 28, 1800, after Weidinger had previously announced in the Wiener Zeitung that he had now perfected his "multi-key" trumpet. "

Origin and Effect

Johann Nepomuk Hummel was also open to Weidinger's new instrument. A trio for pianoforte, violin and trumpet (lost) was written for him as early as 1802 and the trumpet concerto in E major, the one with Fine, in the following year . the 8 th Decemb. [1] The autograph score dated 803 is preserved in the composer's estate. The concert was premiered on January 1st, 1804 as part of the table music at a public banquet of the imperial court, the sequence of which is documented by an entry in Joseph Carl Rosenbaum's diary :

"The music began with a symphony, followed by Simoni's Th [ereses] aria by Cimarosa and Mayer, Weidinger's Trumpet Concert by Hummel, a duet by Mayer, and finally a symphony."

In terms of composition, Hummel combines the well-known triad motif of the instrument with cantilenas , figurations and trills , which were only made possible by the new key mechanism - and this in a special way also in the lower register.

Musically, the score also has a few allusions: The main theme of the first movement with its succinct rhythm, octave leaps and spinning is reminiscent of the opening of Mozart's so-called Haffner Symphony KV 385; The gesture and pace of the Andante are reminiscent of the slow movement from Mozart's Piano Concerto in C major, K. 467. The march-like insertion in the final Rondo (T. 167ff) is even a literal quotation from Luigi Cherubini's Opéra comique Les Deux, which was accompanied by lasting success Journées (in the German-speaking area Der Wasserträger ), which was brought out simultaneously in 1802 in the Theater an der Wien and the Kärntnertortheater . The melody is likely to have achieved some popularity among contemporaries, because Hummel also used it as a basis for his Variations op.9 for piano, composed in 1802, and recorded it again in 1814 in the Sérénade op.66 .

Hummel's Concerto is intended for an instrument with wide bores , five keys and based on the key E. Some peculiarities of the autograph suggest that composer and performer actually worked together in the elaboration of the solo part. For example, Hummel initially left the trumpet system free in the fair copy of his score (in brown ink) in order to add the part later (in black ink). He not only specified the title of the concerto by stating a Tromba principale , but also added the place and time of the performance: prodotto il 1 mo Genajo [1] 804 alla tavola di Corte dal Sig. Weidinger. Probably for technical reasons, some passages of the solo part were later revised in red ink and two sections of the slow movement were deleted. The reason for this musically not always convincing revision process can be found in the tonal weaknesses of the solo instrument. It can also be assumed that this was done at the suggestion of Weidinger purely for technical reasons. "

The Trumpet Concerto in E major was created in the transition from the Viennese Classic to the Modern Romantic School - this reveals itself in many ways:

  • Compared to his predecessor Haydn, Hummel now uses the keyed trumpet, which has been further developed in the meantime, almost without exception as a soloist and thus largely dispenses with duplications with other instruments (even in chromatic passages).
  • The “classically-based” harmonics appear here enriched by altered chords, enharmonics and key deviations or modulations in the variant area. In the sense of Romanticism, Hummel also extends the original key disposition of the sonata form (with the basic and dominant keys , i.e. E major and B major) by the dimension of the median (G major and C major).
  • Contrary to the compositional customs of the time, Hummel - comparable to Mozart , but in contrast to Haydn or Beethoven - preferred a variety of motifs and themes , but without consistently processing them. Instead, different types of musical phrases are usually strung together to form extensive complexes of topics; the main theme of the first movement, which lasts 18 bars, consists of B. consists of four sections of different lengths and is divided into 18/6 (2 + 4) + 4 + 4 + 4 bars (after Swarowsky ).

Musical shape (analysis)

1st movement: Allegro con spirito

E major, 4/4 time, 311 bars

Main theme of the trumpet (T. 67–84), 1st movement [Urtext]

The first movement is in sonata form. The orchestral exposition (bars 1–66) opens with the concise and high-contrast main theme in the basic key of E major, which ends here at first half-conclusively. The continuation of the main movement by the orchestral tutti begins with an imitation of the headline and gradually takes on a transition character before Hummel - contrary to all conventions - modulates in the first exposition (bars 14-22) in the dominant key of B major. As part of the transition, a new, dotted gesture in the variant key of E minor appears in bar 31 and, after a gradual increase, finally leads back to the dominant, where the music comes to a standstill for the first time by means of the fermata. The side movement (mm. 43–54) is normally in E major. The graceful secondary theme consists of a 2-bar model of the strings alternating with the winds, its sequence, a 2-bar horn duet, whose echo-like repetition together with the flute and flows seamlessly into the final group (bars 54-63). which is extended by a simple, cadenced codetta (bars 64–67) and thus musically prepares the first entry of the solo trumpet in bar 67.

The solo exposure (mm. 67–170) begins with the main theme in E major in the trumpet, but this now appears with a prelude and is formally expanded to a total of 18 bars. Like Haydn before, Hummel also uses the instrument here in the lower principal register, where step-by-step continuous tone sequences can only be played thanks to the new key mechanism. The continuation of the main movement this time uses material from the original final group (cf. mm. 54–57) and then surprisingly modulates into the parallel key of C sharp minor. In the middle of the transition, a new theme sounds in the solo part (bars 90-98), which ends after a brief modulation back on the double dominant and is replaced by a two- fold dialogue between the orchestra and the solo trumpet in B major or B minor, respectively in m. 108 a concluding unison passage is transferred to the side movement. The secondary theme (T. 112–127) in B major now also appears changed: Hummel expands the theme to a total of 16 bars with periodic structure: the two-part antecedent sounds in the trumpet, the end of the sentence begins with the 1st violins and the oboe, is then taken over by the solo part and unexpectedly modulates into the median key of G major. A short remodulation in B major is followed by a 17-bar solo passage with figurative material, which virtuously closes the side movement in m. 146. In the context of the final group (mm. 146–170), Hummel initially uses transition material (cf. mm. 14–29), temporarily shifts to B minor and finally ends normally in the dominant key.

The implementation (T. 171-210) is divided into three sections: the introduction (T. 171-176) by the orchestra is linked to the first dot-circuit design and modulated in sequence by means of enharmonic reinterpretation in the (cf. T. 170th) The median key of C major, in the core ( mm . 176–204), fragments of the main and secondary theme in the solo trumpet sound one after the other, before a new thought modulating according to E minor is introduced in m. 190. As expected, the return (mm. 205–210) through the orchestral tutti leads to the dominant seventh chord of E major before the recapitulation begins in m. 211.

The recapitulation (mm. 211–311) in the basic key of E major again opens with the main theme in the trumpet, but this is now shortened to 14 bars and surprisingly modulates towards A major towards the end. The transition (mm. 224–253) also appears to be varied: the transition theme (mm. 227–247) begins this time with the head motif in F sharp minor and then modulates back to the dominant , where after two dialogues between the orchestra and the Solo trumpet in E major or E minor and a concluding passage in unison followed by the side movement. In m. 245, the lowest note of the concerto sounds with the E notated in the bass clef . This time, Hummel has expanded the secondary theme (bars 254–273) in E major to 20 bars and also significantly changed the melodic key, although it remains in its basic key. The following solo passage has been expanded to a total of 27 bars and, after a striking variant, fallacy in bar 285/6 and a characteristic trill figure on the F sharp 2 (bars 293–299), leads directly into the final group. In his trumpet concerto, Hummel completely dispenses with a solo cadenza , which would be common in concert works (and thus to be expected in bar 288). The first movement ends with the original final group (cf. 54–62), which has now been expanded with a 4-bar coda and ends with the head motif from the beginning.

2nd movement: Andante

Main theme of the trumpet (bars 3–28), 2nd movement [Urtext]

A minor, 2/2 time ( alla breve ), 63 bars

The middle movement is in the minor subdominant key of A minor and is divided into A - B - A '- B' + coda (with an integrated transition to the final rondo ) in the sense of a multi-part song form . Apart from the minor key, which is rather rare for slow concert movements, the solo part in the Urtext is notated with the accidentals of A major throughout. Almost in the entire Andante the trumpet is the instrument leading the melody, which makes the solo part very exhausting in terms of strength and endurance.

After a two-bar introductory cadence in A minor, the trumpet begins with the first theme (bars 3–12): over a chromatic passage duriusculus ( pizzicato ) with triplet-like, pulsating tone repetitions in the strings, the solo part first sounds an e '' as a sustaining tone or flattement (bars 4–5), from which an independent melody subsequently develops. Both phrases end semi-conclusively before a short modulation leads into the B part in bar 12. The second theme (bars 13–28) in the parallel key of C major is designed as a multi-link phrase chain and ends with a three-bar codetta and an interplay between flute and oboe reminiscent of birdsong. In terms of interpretation, the question arises as to whether the new theme begins directly in bar 13 or whether Hummel designed this entry as a prelude (cf. bar 43).

The recapitulation (mm. 31–63) starts again suddenly in the basic key of A minor, but appears varied: the theme of the solo trumpet (mm. 32–41) has changed melodically, formally and harmonically but with the original theme of the A part related and this time surprisingly ends in the variant key of A major. The following B part begins with a short introduction (bars 41–42) and the anticipation of motivic material in the oboe, before in the solo part the theme (bars 43–53), which is also redesigned, thematically and harmonically related, in A -Dur sounds. After a coda with several cadences (bars 53–63), the middle movement comes to an end together with the trumpet. Hummel then integrates a modulating transition (mm. 64–71), which, after dramatic gestures ( forte ), comes to a standstill ( pianissimo ) and the 3rd by means of fermata on the dominant of E minor (instead of E major) . Sentence is connected almost seamlessly ( attacca subito il Rondò ).

3rd movement: Allegro. Rondo

Main theme of the trumpet (bars 1–20), 3rd movement [Urtext]

E major, 2/4 time, 257 bars

The final movement with the overall form A - B - A '- C - A new (+ coda) is a varied chain rondo . In the last refrain , Hummel even quotes music from Luigi Cherubini's Opéra comique Les Deux Journées in the sense of a pasticcio .

The humorous, playful main theme in E major comprises 20 bars and initially begins unaccompanied. The syncopated continuation of the main movement (bars 20–31) by the orchestral tutti consolidates the basic key and closes the refrain with the head motif of the 1st movement. The following 1st couplet (mm. 32–58) begins suddenly in the dominant key of B major. Its formulaic theme comprises a total of 27 bars and consists of a four-bar model, its sequence, a short interlude by the orchestra and a multi-part continuation in the solo part. The return line (bars 58–68) modulates back into the basic key, where after repeated motivic allusions in bar 89 the actual recapitulation begins. The refrain in E major this time begins with an extended prelude and appears melodically varied (cf. bars 79 and 87), otherwise Hummel recapitulates the main movement verbatim.

When the second couplet (T. 100-167) in the parallel key E Minor ( Minore ) is the longest and most harmonious section throughout the third set, and it forms a clear contrast in character to the previous moldings. The new theme consists of 15 bars and begins in E minor with a heavy weight, the second part is then surprisingly in the parallel key of G major and in turn appears cheerful and relaxed. Hummel designs the following passage (bars 114–131) as a dialogical interplay between orchestra and solo trumpet, but primarily uses figurative material and then modulates back to E minor, before it takes up the minor theme in m. 132 in varied ways comes. The following return line (T. 156–167) leads directly to the refrain.

The last refrain (mm. 167–232) dispenses with a recapitulation of the main theme and instead uses music from Cherubini's Les Deux Journées. In terms of character, you sometimes feel reminded of marching music . In the context of this episode ( Maggiore ), Hummel largely remains in the basic key, but now predominantly focuses on the orchestra leading the melody. Only formulaic material can be heard in the solo part: fanfare motifs, scale and triad figures, ascending or descending chromatic lines with flattements (mm. 218–221) or trills, and in mm. 194–202 a Haydn trumpet concerto (cf. 3. Movement, mm. 86–93) reminiscent virtuoso gesture. As in the first movement, Hummel renounces a solo cadenza and ends the movement directly with a two-part coda (T. 235-257), which after a reminiscence of Cherubini (see M 185ff) and the verbatim recapitulation of the original main movement (T. 244ff) concludes with the solo trumpet.

occupation

Trumpet solo (in E), 1 flute , 2 oboes , 2 clarinets (in A), 2 bassoons , 2 horns (in E), timpani (in E and B) and strings : violin (2), viola , violoncello , double bass

In the 2nd movement the timpani are tacet .

literature

  • Michael Kube (Ed.): Study score (Urtext). Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden 2010.
  • Ian D. Pearson: Johann Nepomuk Hummel's "Rescue" Concerto: Cherubini's Influence on Hummel's Trumpet Concerto. In: International Trumpet Guild Journal, Vol. 16, no. 4, Oxford University Press, 1992, pp. 14-20.
  • Erwin Ratz: Introduction to the theory of musical forms. About formal principles in JS Bach's inventions and their significance for Beethoven's compositional technique. Universal Edition, Vienna 1973, ISBN 3-7024-0015-X .
  • John A. Rice: The Musical Bee: References to Mozart and Cherubini in Hummel's "New Year" Concerto. In: Music & Letters, Vol. 77, no. 3. Oxford University Press, 1996, pp. 401-424.
  • Martin Skamletz: "... and nothing at all, whereby the own creative spirit of the composer is certified". In: Music research at the Bern University of the Arts. Volume 4. Edition Argus, Schliengen 2015, ISBN 978-3-931264-84-0 .
  • Hans Swarowsky, Manfred Huss (Ed.): Preservation of the shape . Writings on work and reproduction, style and interpretation in music. Universal Edition AG, Vienna 1979, ISBN 978-3-7024-0138-2 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Travel letters from Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Bonn 1947.
  2. ↑ a b Michael Kube (Ed.): Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra in E major . Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden 2010, p. 4 - 5 .
  3. ↑ Haydn Yearbook . tape 5 , 1968, p. 118 .
  4. ^ Ian D. Pearson: Johann Nepomuk Hummel's "Rescue" Concerto: Cherubini's Influence on Hummel's Trumpet Concerto . In: International Trumpet Guild Journal . tape 16 , no. 4 . Oxford University Press, 1992, pp. 14-20 .