Trumpets in action during the Schmelzer Aria per il Balletto a Cavallo

Vohn and Immer performing the Rittler Ciaconna

Trumpets and strings after the concert in Buren

Kroměříž - the inspiration for the concert

In February 2006, the baroque trumpet class of Friedemann Immer at the Amsterdam Conservatory presented two concerts in cooperation with the Sweelinck Baroque Orchestra. The concerts took place on 9th February in the Lambertuskerk in Buren and on 10th February in the Noorderkerk in Amsterdam. The theme of the concerts was: "Music at the court of Kroměříž" and the following pieces were played:

H.I.F.Biber (1644-1704) – Sonata Sancti Polycarpi for 8 trumpets, timpani and basso continuo

From Biber – Sonatae Tam Aris Quam Aulis Servientes:
- Sonata X in g minor for trumpet, violin, 2 violas and basso continuo
- Sonata VII in C for 2 trumpets, 2 violins and basso continuo
- Sonata IV in C for trumpet, violin, 2 violas and basso continuo

J.H. Schmelzer (1623-1680) – Aria per il Balletto a Cavallo for 5 trumpets, timpani, 2 violins, viola and basso continuo
- Corrente per l'intrada di S.M.C & tutti di Cavaglieri
- Giga per Entrata de i Saltatori, e per molte altre figure
- Follia per nuovo ingresso de i Saltatori & altre operazioni de Cavalli
- Allemande per gl'intrecci e figure di passegio grave introdotto da S.M.C. e Cavaglieri
- Sarabanda per termine del Balletto

Biber – Balletti in C for 2 trumpets, violin, 2 violas and basso continuo
- Sonata
- Allamanda
- Amener
- Aria
- Balletto
- Gavotte
- Canario
- Amoresca
- Gagliarda
- Ciaconna

J. Ph. Rittler (c.1637-1690) – Ciaconna in C for 2 trumpets, violin, 3 viola and basso continuo

P. J. Vejvanovsky (c.1639-1693) – Serenade in C for 5 trumpets, trombone, violin, 2 violas and basso continuo
- Ingressus
- Sarabande
- Gavotte
- Minuett
- Gigue

In the archive of the court of Kroměříž (Czech Republic) there is a large collection of musical pieces called the Liechtenstein-collection. This collection is named after Prince-Bishop Karl Liechtenstein von Castelcorno, who was Bishop of Olomouc from 1664-1695. For his court orchestra at Kroměříž, he ordered music from the best-known composers of his time.

The music with trumpets (more than a hundred pieces) is characterized by the composers’ apparent tendency towards experimentation. Alongside the usual compositions for trumpet ensemble and works for trumpet(s) and strings are found more unusual combinations, such as works for trumpets, cornetts and other instruments (trumpets and cornetts were only rarely combined) and works for trumpets, recorders and strings.

But not only the instrumentation was experimental. Biber wrote his Sonata IV in 12/8 for the trumpet and simultaneously in 4/4 for the strings, which is absolutely unique for baroque times. The only two known pieces for baroque trumpet written entirely in minor (which is almost impossible because the harmonic series of the baroque trumpet is essentially major!) are the Sonata X of Biber and a sonata by Vejvanovsky, both written in Kroměříž.

Another very special piece in the program is the Aria per il Balletto a Cavallo of Schmelzer. This piece is a horse ballet, which means that the horses would dance to the music, actually a quite common art form in baroque times. Schmelzer’s ballet was written for what must have been the biggest musical event of the Baroque, the marriage of Emperor Leopold I of Austria to the Spanish Infanta Margareta Theresia on the 24th January 1667. The rehearsals for this four-hour event lasted half a year and there were 1300 active participants, amongst whom was the Emperor himself (the S.M.C. in the titles of the movements refers to him, standing for “Sua Maestà Cesarea”).

The following students of Friedemann Immer participated in the project: Nicolas Isabelle (Canada), Emile Meuffels (The Netherlands), Akiko Mishima (Japan), Paul Rhee (Korea) and Dominykas Vysniauskas (Lithuania). They were joined by Norbert Vohn (Germany), Javier Lorente (Spain) and Friedemann Immer himself.