Baroque ensemble

The Trumpet Department at the University of North Texas presented a Baroque Trumpet Symposium March 28-29, 2003, hosted by Regents Professor of Trumpet Keith Johnson. Period instrument performances, lectures and masterclasses on literature and pedagogy were presented by John Thiessen, Adam Gordon and Keith Johnson.

Joining these performers were Professor Lenora McCroskey, organ and harpsichord, and Kathryn James, a doctoral teaching fellow and conductor of the Baroque Trumpet Ensemble at UNT. Dr. Lyle Nordstrom conducted the UNT Baroque Orchestra, one of the largest of its type in North America.

The symposium began with a recital and clinic by John Thiessen, accompanied by Lenora McCroskey on organ. After opening the recital with Torelli's Concerto in D, Thiessen spoke of the importance of the Church of San Petronio in Bologna and the effect of its acoustics in determining articulations. Next, he performed Purcell's Sonata in D, and followed this with the opening section of "The Trumpet Shall Sound." He discussed the necessity of practicing such works with the appropriate amount of rest between movements to simulate actual performance conditions ". . . make three phone calls and answer your email, then pick up your horn and play it."

Next Thiessen performed "Grosser Herr" from the Christmas Oratorio and discussed the problem of trills in which the upper neighbor tone does not exist in the harmonic series of the instrument. In an adaptation of a Biber duet for trumpet and organ, Thiessen demonstrated the beautiful minor tonality available within the naturally occurring harmonic series. He was then joined by Keith Johnson and Kathryn James to perform excerpts from Bach's Mass in B Minor. Thiessen discussed the importance of knowing the text as well as pacing oneself in performance. Again, he reminded the audience to practice with the correct amount of time between movements. The trio concluded this session by performing sections of "Dona nobis pacem."

After a short break, John Thiessen conducted a masterclass with UNT students including Ward Yager, Ben McMillan and Jennifer Turner. The final performer in the masterclass was Kathryn James, who gave an impressive performance of Hertel's Concerto #3.

Johnson, Thiessen and Gordon

Saturday's events began with a clinic by Keith Johnson entitled "Getting Started on the Baroque Trumpet." He began by discussing considerations for buying an instrument: authentic or vented models, 3 hole or 4 hole systems, and mouthpiece selection. Johnson said that in general, the two models almost mirrored the old cornet/trumpet debate. The 3 hole instruments seem to have a slightly darker sound and more stability, while the 4 hole models seemed more flexible, but made accuracy a bit more difficult. Johnson next addressed the warm up. He recommended starting without vent holes and using lots of full, easy air for relaxed tone production. Stressing the importance of hearing the sound fully before playing, Johnson recommended spending 10-20 minutes a day focusing on the air and the ear. He suggested trying Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary without holes as a test piece. Johnson concluded by discussing a number of publications for the baroque trumpet player, ranging over modern method books including his own Method for Natural Trumpet, now in publication. In addition, Robert Barclay's The Art of the Trumpet Maker and historical texts by Altenburg, Smithers, and Tarr were recommended for all trumpet players.

In the following session, Adam Gordon gave a very practical lecture on entering the early music field. Gordon recommended listening to good players in order to develop a concept of sound and a personal style. He also stressed the importance of being organized and efficient in practice, and discussed his need to balance practice with the requirements of a symphony job and time for his family. There are so many factors that demand a musician's time and attention, Gordon quipped, that he plans to call his memoirs The Playing was the Easy Part. Throughout his lecture, Gordon emphasized the importance of being a good colleague, a team player that others will want to work with again. He pointed out that much of a player's success depends upon how well he relates to, and works with other people. He closed his prepared remarks with a reminder to "take the high road daily." Many questions about freelance playing followed, with Gordon offering advice on matters ranging from sight reading situations to how to deal with wedding coordinators.

The final concert of the symposium began with John Thiessen performing the Corelli Concerto in D with principal players of the University of North Texas Baroque Orchestra. Next Kathryn James and the 12 members of the UNT Baroque Trumpet Ensemble presented works by Bendinelli, Dauverne, Diabelli, and Schiedermayer. The concert concluded with the full orchestra performing Teleman's Concerto for Three Trumpets, Two Oboes, and Strings, featuring John Thiessen, Adam Gordon, and Keith Johnson.

The symposium was an excellent opportunity to enjoy fine performances and to become better acquainted with the many considerations of baroque trumpet performance and pedagogy. All of the events were well attended by early music fans, university students and baroque trumpet enthusiasts from across the state. Congratulations are due to Keith Johnson for organizing this successful conference. Suggestions that future meetings might include exhibits from instrument makers and music publishers underscored everyone's hope that the UNT Baroque Trumpet Symposium will become a regular event.

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