Volume 17 Issue 8 - May 2012

DISCOVERIES | RECordINGS REVIEWEDEditor’s CornerDAVID OLDSThirty-Two Short Films about Glenn Gouldwas, I think, the first film I ever saw atthe Toronto International Film Festivalwhere it received a special citation backin 1993. Subtitled “The Sound ofGenius” this outstanding portraitby François Girard, producedby Niv Fichman for Toronto’sRhombus Media, went on towin four Genie Awards includingBest Film and Best Directorthat year. It was a great pleasureto find a DVD re-issue (sony88691912129) in my in-boxlast month and to revisit ColmFeore’s canny portrayal of Gouldin this docu-dramatic recreation of someof the more iconic moments of the artist’scontroversial career. While much is indeeddramatic reinvention, we are also presentedwith commentary by some of Gould’s colleaguesincluding film maker and violinistBruno Monsaingeon (who is also seen ina performance of Gould’s String QuartetThe TrumpetBy John Wallace and Alexander McGrattanYale University PressISBN 978-0-300-11230-6$40.00 hardcover, 360 pagesPublication Date: May 15, 2012“What mouthpiece do you use?” is theusual conversation opener, one trumpetplayer to another. So now we have anotheropener: “Have you read The Trumpet byJohn Wallace and Alexander McGrattan?”This book is a most welcomed addition to thelibraries of seasoned professional trumpeters(like me), a “must-have” for any aspiringtrumpet student or for anyone wishing tofollow the evolution and vibrant history ofone of the world’s oldest instruments.The Trumpet follows a broadly chronologicalpattern, starting by highlightingthe prehistory through civilizations of theancient world. Summaries of developmentsin the instrument and its playing techniquesfollow, setting the stage for more in-depthinvestigations of these topics in subsequentchapters. The Trumpet then chronicles aGArrY PAGEOp.1), Yehudi Menuhin and CBC broadcasterMargaret Pascu among others. Looselystructured on Bach’s Goldberg Variations,we are presented with a series of vignettesfeaturing Gould in monologue,in dialogue with himself andon occasion in interaction withothers. Feore carries the bulk ofthe performance but there area few supporting actors includinga cameo by screenplay cowriterDon McKellar. Some ofthe variations involve no commentary,combining music withfilm montage and in one case ananimation sequence by NormanMcLaren. If you missed this in the theatrefirst time around I highly recommend youcatch it on DVD now. I only wonder whyit has taken two decades to bring it to thehome market.In 1990 the great violinist and pedagogueYehudi Menuhin, mentioned above,continued on next pageperiod of more than a thousandyears, from the fall of the RomanEmpire in the West in the fifthcentury through to the end of the16th century. Wonderful inclusionof articles by Don Smithers andPeter Downey provoke fresh interestand controversy regardingthis relatively neglected period inthe history of the trumpet.Further chapters explore thetrumpet in the 17th and 18thcenturies, often referred to as “the goldenage” of the natural trumpet. I find particularinterest in the attention to detail regardingsophisticated performance conventions andthe virtuosic repertoire of the Baroque,including detailed studies of the trumpetparts in the works of Bach and Handel.Exploration of the new-found chromatic possibilitiestoward the end of this period leadsbeautifully to a detailed analysis of theconcerti for the keyed trumpet by Haydnand Hummel. As these are staple audition,examination and performance repertoire, sothe insights shared here by master teachersWallace and McGrattan are invaluable.Commentary outlines 19th and early 20thcentury development of valved instrumentswhich redefined the possibilities of the trumpetand the ways in which it was understoodby players, composers and audiences. Thecharting of detailed and useful technicaldevelopments and focus on the implicationsof these innovations for performance is followedby discussions of the often complexrelationships between natural and valvedinstruments, trumpet and cornet, as well asthe development and use of the piccolo trumpetin solo and orchestral contexts.In discussion of the development of thetrumpet as an orchestral and a solo instrumentsince the early 20th century, homageis given to Maurice André who significantlyextended the solo trumpet repertoire by commissioningnew works and by performingtranscriptions of baroque music. From the1960s, collaborations between trumpetersand avant-garde composers led to an expansionof classical solo repertoire; a veryuseful appendix of 20th-century solo worksis included as well as numerous orchestralexcerpts to provide further clarity.The role of the trumpet in jazz is a principaltheme in the final chapter, with analysisof the early recordings of Louis Armstrong,a fascinating discussion of the more mainstreamfields of popular music, brass chambermusic and the use of the trumpet inscores for television and the motion pictureindustry. A welcomed inclusion is the considerationof the image of the trumpet player,exploring, among other things, the significantrole of female trumpeters in jazz andclassical music. Finally, the future directionof jazz is considered through the prominenceof Wynton Marsalis and other influentialjazz trumpeters, inspiring the re-emergenceof the trumpet as a solo instrument inmusic today.Author John Wallace was fornearly two decades principaltrumpet of the PhilharmoniaOrchestra, London, and isprincipal of the Royal ScottishAcademy of Music and Drama.Alexander McGrattan is onfaculty at the Royal ScottishAcademy of Music and Drama,is a freelance trumpeter, anda leading exponent of the naturaltrumpet.Perhaps worth consideration is the British(er, Scottish) perspective inherent within thiswork. While for some, this gives it a specialappeal, for others, it may result in referenceswhich are less immediately accessible. It hasbeen suggested that this is the first majorbook devoted to the trumpet in more than 20years. In this reviewer’s perspective, and as atrumpeter, I would have to agree.Trumpeter Garry Page, The WholeNote’srecently appointed director of marketing, is“subbing” for regular BookShelf columnistPamela Margles who will return next month.60 thewholenote.com May 1 – June 7, 2012