Hardenberger Presents Seminar in Oslo	April 9, 2001

Norwegian Trumpet Forum President Odd Lund and Håkan Hardenberger. Norway's national champion on folk instruments, Odd Lund, the Viking with the ram's horn from Lillehammer Olympics, is president of the Norwegian Trumpet Forum. He was most delighted to welcome the renowned Swedish trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger to the Norwegian Trumpet Forum Conference in Oslo March 24-25, 2001. The conference was very well attended by audience and participants. Håkan Hardenberger first lectured on the importance of finding the balance between airflow and lip vibrations. He then gave individual instruction to enthusiastic masterclass participants from Norway and Sweden. His Sunday night concert featured an innovative merger of two art forms, poetry and solo trumpet. 5 years ago Hardenberger formed this "Trumpet and Poet Ensemble" with Jacques Werup, and they presented a touching and unforgettable "Homage to Life." The Lecture Håkan Hardenberger demonstrates the effects of airflow while academy student Tormod Aasgaard performs the fingering of Clarke's Second study. Tormod had performed Sonatine by Francaix in the masterclass. Håkan Hardenberger's message was crystal clear and comfortable. He starts every day by warming up for 1 hour. He diagnoses the body signals and adjust his warming up according to his specific needs that day. He listens carefully to what comes out of the bell. Any gravel in his sound immediately becomes the focus of his attention. He meditates it away by carefully utilizing Stamp's bending tones from G1 down to C1. He never works against the instrument by forcing air, but lets a vocalization movement inside his throat release the sound of the bending tone. When he has achieved the right balance between airflow and lip vibrations (the upper lip vibrates while the lower lip supports the air stream), his tone becomes centered and polished. The vibrations of his instrument give positive feedback to his hands. He opens up his arms and chest, and the trumpet becomes a comfortable body part. Attacks must be perfect, like when a golf or tennis player strikes the ball. The tongue draws backwards (not forwards) when he says Tah. He does breathing exercises to stretch the lung lobes, establish his center in the lower part of the abdomen, and calm the heart rate. Perfection of intonation is achieved by Stamp's mouthpiece exercises controlled by the piano. The Masterclasses Alexander Nøkleby Hanssen, 10, performs Air by Bach with a stunningly beautiful cornet sound. "There is hope for Norway!" said Swedish Hardenberger to this boy who started playing at age 4. Both his parents are professional sackbut players. 16 participants from Norway and Sweden performed for Hardenberger. The repertoire this year was very interesting and varied, with emphasis on French contemporary music. Amateurs, academy students and professionals performed their pieces. Håkan Hardenberger told each participant in a kind and encouraging way exactly what his/her specific problems were and how he/she should work on conquering them. His well-developed sense of humor was highly appreciated by both players and audience. "Are you walking the dog, or is the dog walking you?," "Let the little man in your forehead sing while you are playing, he gives you the sound which keeps up the interest in the audience," "Use your air as a springboard both musically to form phrases and to get the high notes for free," "Think up when you play low and down when you play high, for ease and equity of sound," "Feel the instrument vibrate and become alive when you center the tone successfully." "Listen intensively to your sound and forget the feelings in your lips," "Do most of your practicing in pianissimo," "Be a student when you practice, but a star stripped of self critics when you perform!," "Expansion of the sound is not to be directed forward, but outwards, go for the resonance!," "You are ready to expand only when your tone is perfectly centered, cultivate the dark overtones." "It is free to play the trumpet, don't kill yourself for nothing!," "Let your right hand live its own life while your airflows abundantly!," "Your trumpet lacks ebony and ivory keys, so aim at developing a reflex in your body, a mental picture of where each tone is," "Cherish playing your trumpet." The Concert Håkan Hardenberger and Jacques Werup in Concert: Homage to Life The endurance developed for a concert of this magnitude was a mystery to the audience. Håkan Hardenberger made impossible dreams come true as he performed almost constantly for 80 minutes. The Swedish poet Jacques Werup sprinkled us with inspiration, "…to have paired the yearning of the night with the patience of the morning star … The satisfaction of having seen one's hands lay on the world as on an apple in a small garden." "So many books that were never written … so many songs that were never heard … so many silent love arias - sung more often in the mind … as the heart beats with mute strokes…" Håkan Hardenberger generously took us on a voyage from Bach's and Telemann's baroque treasures, through South American Tango rhythms, spectacular contemporary pieces, and Charlier's Etude No. 2. He transformed the hall to a sacred place by closing the concert with the Swedish Hymn "Gammal Fäbodpsalm" in a muted version. We were again bewitched by the wonders of trumpet sound, where the softest tones are the furthest reaching. The merging of sadness and pleasure gently released salty pearls from the eyes of the listeners. "For a short time one is in the world. For a short time one is somebody in the world." Source: Vera Hørven, ITG European Correspondent

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