AS MUSICAL tastes were changing and baroque trumpets were falling out of favour with composers around the late 18th century, a ''miracle'' occurred.

Holes were put into the valveless baroque trumpet for the first time.

The Italian virtuoso Gabriele Cassone says the innovation greatly expanded the range, speed and intricacy of notes the instrument could produce and enabled the resulting ''keyed trumpet'' to play an entire chromatic scale for the first time.

''It was a surprise at this time to hear the trumpet become chromatic,'' says Cassone, whose performances with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra will be the first time Australian audiences have heard the keyed trumpet played live.