Fanfare for Solo Trumpet and Piano

Hey all!

I haven't posted anything completed in a while. So, I thought I would share my Fanfare that my Composing Teacher gave me. My assignment was a fun New Years project. My only instructions were to use a solo instrument with a piano accompaniment. However, the role of the piano should be equally important to the song as the solo instrument. So, that is what I did. I am tired of non-finale users beating up on me to post midis, so I made you guys and MP3, and a PDF score. Here:

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-Mori-

I assume you're aware of how hideously difficult this is for the trumpet player? Those high notes are doable, but I wouldn't advise staying in the high register for too long, and try and avoid big leaps up to high notes - again, doable, but very difficult, and your performer will hate you

Apart from my gripes with the trumpet part (don't worry, definitely playable, just bloody difficult) I enjoyed this a lot, I found it more approahable than your usual stuff, perhaps because it's more consonant.

I would like to hear more music in this vein from you, most enjoyable

Yes! This is good, but very, very difficult! I think I might go ahead and call it impossible to give a good performance of this piece, from the Trumpeter's perspective, that is!

What if I lowered the key? Would that help if I transposed the piece down, or do you feel it would ruin the effect?

I don't think a straight transposition would necessarily be the best approach, you could perhaps go through some of the passages that are above the treble clef for a long period of time, see if you can have a few more breaks, bring it down so the trumpet player can rest their chops a bit.

I have actually changed the key AND the trumpet. When I finish tweaking it, I shall post the revised edition.

I shall post a revised comment then

I got my cornet out and tried playing the trumpet part, just for kicks, and can confirm that it is bloody hard

haha! Wonderful!

This is playable, but it's crossing a thin line. I don't know what instrument you play, or if you've read any Orchestration books, but one thing you don't want to do with a brass musician is have them play in the bordering on extreme upper register constantly without a sign of a break. The opening statement alone is a problem. Here's a rule of thumb, get an orchestration book (I recommend the Kennan/Grantham book) and check out the *usable* range for every instrument you will ever write for before starting on these piece and memorize it. An E5 on Bb trumpet is perfectly reasonable, a good player in any college can nail that decently, but it also depends on the context. Articulated passages up there? No way, completely unnecessary pain in the butt and you'll doubtfully get a second performance if you even get the first one off the ground.

Anyway, the most heinous problem is the lack of rest in the trumpet part especially in the strenuous beginning. You can have a brass player play for long stretches of time, but you have to keep things in consideration still. Good brass musicians at the college level could probably lift weights with their face if they wanted to, it's a very physical instrument. Now think about this, what happens when you're jogging for say...10 minutes straight at moderate pace. You don't really feel tired right? Okay, now sprint for 10 minutes straight and DON'T STOP. I imagine you're pretty winded unless you're a trained marathon runner with years and years of experience. This is brass playing.

Well as stated before it would be difficult to an extent. The range isn't that big of an issue, but there are some pretty pointless interval leaps particularly around measure 31 where you have a slurred leap of a M7, which is pretty difficult. Aside from the first six bars, this doesn't sound much like a fanfare. For the most part the trumpet line is very jumpy, congrats on being able to hit chord tones, try working on your voice leading now and connecting chord tones with non chord tones, that alone could clean up a fair amount of the technical difficulties of the trumpet part. The piano part at times doesn't make much since. Take bar 3 for example when it has the hit on beat one. What is the point of putting the right hand all the way in the upper range of the instrument when the trumpet is already playing forte in the upper end of its range. Its conflicting and it does nothing to support the trumpet player. There is nothing worse for any high wind instrument than to be left flailing in the wind in the upper register, why not drop the piano part two maybe three octaves and give the trumpet some support and contrast register wise, more bass than treble is almost always a good thing. Also whats the deal with measure 16 with the random A# in the trumpet and G# in the piano. For the rest of the piece its in some mode of one flat then you, possibly for contrast throw in the concert G#. For what reason, it does nothing to move or ornament or even spice up the line or the piece, especially since that is the only time when you go out of the general "key" of one flat. If you're going to use the G# make sure its used throughout so that it doesn't sound like a mistake.