ITG 2004

Lisa Blackmore, Reporter

James Klages, professor of trumpet at the University of Central Oklahoma, presented a clinic titled “The American Cornet Solo: Style and Tradition.” Prior to his tenure in Oklahoma, he was cornet soloist for “The Presidents’ Own” United States Marine Band in Washington, D.C. and was a longtime student of James Burke, cornet soloist with the Goldman Band.
Klages opened by performing The Volunteer Polka by Walter Rodgers as a tribute to his teacher James Burke. He emphasized that there is no single way to play or interpret cornet music. Its essence is vocal in nature, very lyrical, and not at all harsh. There is much more to American cornet literature than the typical theme and variation format. It is more opera aria-influenced with only a little variation style thrown in for educational purposes. It is essential to study the original opera to get the right style and understand the larger context.

The cornet was brought to the U.S. shortly after its invention and the first well-known soloists were immigrants. The defining moment for the cornet came in 1856 with Patrick Gilmore in Salem Massachusetts. A legendary performance pitting Ned Kendall on keyed bugle versus Gilmore on cornet paved the way for the cornet’s rise to prominence. The University of Central Oklahoma Trumpet Choir performed the Wood Up Quickstep as a tribute to this event.

The Heyday of the cornet in America occurred between the Civil War and World War I, and culminated in the great touring bands featuring cornet soloists like Herbert L. Clarke and Walter B. Rodgers. The trumpet rose as the cornet fell in prominence following Louis Armstrong and changes in orchestral practice.

Stylistic points Klages emphasized in the American tradition of cornet playing included rubato and vibrato. The rubato tradition has almost been lost; it’s a musical rather than a mechanical approach that can’t be notated. To attain a proper style of vibrato, he suggested listening to vocalists and violinists, plus great trumpet virtuosos like André, Méndez, and Dokshizer that play in a lyrical singing style. In order to demonstrate the cornet tradition, Klages played several examples of old recordings of great cornet soloists including Burke performing the Volunteer Polka, Del Staigers playing the Carnival of Venice and Napoli, and Clarke performing From the Shores of the Mighty Pacific.

Student soloists from the UCO Trumpet Choir performed excerpts from cornet solos. Clint Rohr played Blue Bells of Scotland by John Hartmann and Dennis Jamison played Annie Laurie by C. Riggs. The clinic closed with the UCO Trumpet Choir playing a lighthearted version of Yankee Doodle arranged with several variations by Klages.