Depending on which source you favor, the high point of the Baroque trumpet era was somewhere between 1740 and 1770. It was the years following this period that a schism of sorts began, throwing the trumpeters art into a long and unfortunate era of decline. Around 1750 (which is also the year of J.S. Bach’s death), musical tastes began to change in a very dramatic way.

Classical era composers began to treat the trumpet as a tutti instrument rather than a solo one. The historical roots of the instrument were still retained in many compositions, with the trumpets playing small heroic fanfares as part of a greater orchestral fabric. Unfortunately, though, composers of the classical era ceased exploiting the upper partials that were frequently used throughout the high baroque. Rarely were classical trumpeters required to play above the 12th partial (written G) due to changes in musical taste and the decline of court ensembles which required command of the extreme upper register.

Though the trumpet parts of the classical era are thought to be quite dull by the modern orchestral musician, this era was exceptionally important for two major reasons: for the first time in history the trumpet was treated as an orchestral instrument, and a search for a chromatic trumpet began due to its new role as a tutti instrument. In my next post, I’ll explore some of the early instruments used during this search for a fully-chromatic trumpet that ultimately leads us to our modern orchestral instrument.

The great vent hole debate

J.S. Bach mass in B minor on period instruments

J.S. Bach meets Gottfried Reiche

Monteverdi / L’Orfeo

The Baroque Trumpet (Part 1)

The Renaissance Trumpet (Part 2)

The Renaissance Trumpet (Part 1)

The trumpet in the middle ages

A natural trumpet puzzle