Bass trumpet
Encyclopedia
The bass trumpet is a type of low trumpet
which was first developed during the 1820s in Germany. It is usually pitched in 8' C or 9' B today, but is sometimes built in E and is treated as a transposing instrument
sounding either an octave
, a sixth or a ninth lower than written, depending on the pitch of the instrument. Although almost identical in length to the trombone
, the bass trumpet possesses a tone which is harder and more metallic than that of the trombone
. Although it has valves and the same tubing length as a trombone, the bass trumpet is very different from the valve trombone. Note that certain modern manufacturers offering 'tenor horns' in upright shape, 'valve trombones' and 'bass trumpets' are actually using the same valve cluster, bell, tubing and bell flare, just bent differently - in these cases the bass trumpet would be identical to the valve trombone.
's Chromatische Tenor-trompetenbaß and Griesling & Schlott's Chromatische Trompetenbaß are described. Several other variants were produced through the 1820s and were employed in military bands. Wide-bell versions in 9' B are still used today in Austria and Bavaria under the name Baßtrompete, and narrow-bell versions in 9' B are used in Italy under the name tromba bassa. They perform no melodic function, but are used solely to fill out harmonies.
's first intention for Der Ring des Nibelungen
was a bass trumpet in 13' E, based on the instruments he would have come across during his dealings with military bands. However, while the opening section of Das Rheingold
might indicate the use of such an instrument, the part quickly rises to G5, which would be the nineteenth partial on this long instrument; Wagner understood brass instruments very well and saw that this was impractical.
While it was argued during the late nineteenth century (Oskar Franz: Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau, 1884) that the instrument in question was actually pitched an octave higher, the instrument actually built by Moritz of Berlin on Wagner's personal instruction for the Munich theatre (according to Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau, 1908) was pitched in 8' C with crooks for B and A and sounded one octave lower than written. The records of Moritz were not preserved, though a wide-bell bass trumpet with military-band proportions in 8' C with B and A crooks does make an appearance in their post-1900 catalogue, while Gebrüder Alexander of Mainz
offered a narrow-bore model in either E or C.
The model normally used today is in 8' C with four rotary valve
s, and is played by a trombonist owing to the size of the mouthpiece
. Bass trumpets in E are usually played by trumpeters as the mouthpiece is closer in size to that of the standard B trumpet
.
Wagner wrote adventurously for his new addition to the brass section, exploiting open and muted effects, and extremes of range and dynamics. The bass trumpet is frequently featured in Der Ring des Nibelungen
, playing solos in every register, as well as playing in octaves, unison or harmony with trumpet
s, trombone
s, and Wagner tuba
s. Its very distinctive timbre
is easily identifiable and Wagner used this new and unique tone colour extensively.
Other composers have also used the bass trumpet in the orchestra
, including Arthur Sullivan
(in the opera
Ivanhoe
), Richard Strauss
(in the tone poem Macbeth
and the opera
Elektra
), Arnold Schoenberg
(in the cantata
Gurrelieder), Igor Stravinsky
(in the ballet
Le sacre du printemps - fourth trumpet doubling bass trumpet in E), Leoš Janáček
(in the Sinfonietta
- two bass trumpets in B). György Ligeti
used the bass trumpet as one of Nekrotzars "Entourage" instruments in his opera Le Grand Macabre
. However, as with the Wagner tuba and the contrabass trombone, Wagner's other additions to the opera house orchestra for Der Ring des Nibelungen
, the bass trumpet has not become a regular member of the orchestral brass and is seen rarely.
was one of the few jazz
musicians to play the bass trumpet and while the bass trumpet is usually played by a trombonist, British trumpeter Philip Jones performed on the bass trumpet while employed by the Royal Opera House
, Covent Garden
.
Salsa
musician and trombonist Willie Colón
plays a Getzen
bass trumpet and can be heard improvising on the Fania label recordings Maestra Vida part 1 La Fiesta, Siembra Buscando Guayaba, Cruz and Colon Zambullete, Doble Energia Cuando Tu Quieras and Canciones Del Solar De Los Aburridos Tiburon.
Leonhard Paul of Mnozil Brass
(an Austrian based brass group consisting of three trumpets, three trombones and a tuba) plays bass trumpet regularly with the ensemble, incorporating its use in many different styles. Up until late 2006, he played a traditional rotary valve bass trumpet made by Gebr. Alexander
of Mainz. Now he plays a totally redesigned bass trumpet by Schagerl.
Jazz trombonist Elliot Mason
, who plays with Wynton Marsalis's Jazz at the Lincoln Centre Orchestra as well as leading his own bands, regularly plays the bass trumpet.
Rashawn Ross, trumpet player touring with the Dave Matthews Band
, who has also performed and recorded with the likes of Usher, Ludacris, Maceo Parker, Robert Randolph and Roy Hargrove regularly plays Bass trumpet. His equipment includes a silver plated Getzen
Bass trumpet and a Mount Vernon B flat trumpet made by the Vincent Bach Corporation
.
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
which was first developed during the 1820s in Germany. It is usually pitched in 8' C or 9' B today, but is sometimes built in E and is treated as a transposing instrument
Transposing instrument
A transposing instrument is a musical instrument for which written notes are read at a pitch different from the corresponding concert pitch, which a non-transposing instrument, such as a piano, would play. Playing a written C on a transposing instrument will produce a note other than concert C...
sounding either an octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
, a sixth or a ninth lower than written, depending on the pitch of the instrument. Although almost identical in length to the trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, the bass trumpet possesses a tone which is harder and more metallic than that of the trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
. Although it has valves and the same tubing length as a trombone, the bass trumpet is very different from the valve trombone. Note that certain modern manufacturers offering 'tenor horns' in upright shape, 'valve trombones' and 'bass trumpets' are actually using the same valve cluster, bell, tubing and bell flare, just bent differently - in these cases the bass trumpet would be identical to the valve trombone.
History
The earliest mention of the bass trumpet is in the 1821 Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung, in which Heinrich StölzelHeinrich Stölzel
Heinrich David Stölzel was a German horn player who developed some of the first valves for brass instruments. He developed the first valve for a brass instrument, the Stölzel valve, in 1814, and went on to develop various other designs, some jointly with other inventor musicians...
's Chromatische Tenor-trompetenbaß and Griesling & Schlott's Chromatische Trompetenbaß are described. Several other variants were produced through the 1820s and were employed in military bands. Wide-bell versions in 9' B are still used today in Austria and Bavaria under the name Baßtrompete, and narrow-bell versions in 9' B are used in Italy under the name tromba bassa. They perform no melodic function, but are used solely to fill out harmonies.
Wagner's bass trumpet
Richard WagnerRichard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's first intention for Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
was a bass trumpet in 13' E, based on the instruments he would have come across during his dealings with military bands. However, while the opening section of Das Rheingold
Das Rheingold
is the first of the four operas that constitute Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen . It was originally written as an introduction to the tripartite Ring, but the cycle is now generally regarded as consisting of four individual operas.Das Rheingold received its premiere at the National Theatre...
might indicate the use of such an instrument, the part quickly rises to G5, which would be the nineteenth partial on this long instrument; Wagner understood brass instruments very well and saw that this was impractical.
While it was argued during the late nineteenth century (Oskar Franz: Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau, 1884) that the instrument in question was actually pitched an octave higher, the instrument actually built by Moritz of Berlin on Wagner's personal instruction for the Munich theatre (according to Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau, 1908) was pitched in 8' C with crooks for B and A and sounded one octave lower than written. The records of Moritz were not preserved, though a wide-bell bass trumpet with military-band proportions in 8' C with B and A crooks does make an appearance in their post-1900 catalogue, while Gebrüder Alexander of Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
offered a narrow-bore model in either E or C.
The model normally used today is in 8' C with four rotary valve
Rotary valve
A rotary valve is a type of valve in which the rotation of a passage or passages in a transverse plug regulates the flow of liquid or gas through the attached pipes. The common stopcock is the simplest form of rotary valve...
s, and is played by a trombonist owing to the size of the mouthpiece
Mouthpiece (brass)
On brass instruments the mouthpiece is the part of the instrument which is placed upon the player's lips. The purpose of the mouthpiece is a resonator, which passes vibration from the lips to the column of air contained within the instrument, giving rise to the standing wave pattern of vibration in...
. Bass trumpets in E are usually played by trumpeters as the mouthpiece is closer in size to that of the standard B trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
.
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
, playing solos in every register, as well as playing in octaves, unison or harmony with trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s, and Wagner tuba
Wagner tuba
The Wagner tuba is a comparatively rare brass instrument that combines elements of both the French horn and the tuba. Also referred to as the "Bayreuth Tuba", it was originally created for Richard Wagner's operatic cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. Since then, other composers have written for it, most...
s. Its very distinctive timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
is easily identifiable and Wagner used this new and unique tone colour extensively.
Other composers have also used the bass trumpet in the orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, including Arthur Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado...
(in the opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe (opera)
Ivanhoe is a romantic opera in three acts based on the novel by Sir Walter Scott, with music by Sir Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by Julian Sturgis. It premiered at the Royal English Opera House on 31 January 1891 for a consecutive run of 155 performances, unheard of for a grand opera...
), Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
(in the tone poem Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
and the opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Elektra
Elektra (opera)
Elektra is a one-act opera by Richard Strauss, to a German-language libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, which he adapted from his 1903 drama Elektra. The opera was the first of many collaborations between Strauss and Hofmannsthal...
), Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
(in the cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
Gurrelieder), Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
(in the ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
Le sacre du printemps - fourth trumpet doubling bass trumpet in E), Leoš Janáček
Leoš Janácek
Leoš Janáček was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and all Slavic folk music to create an original, modern musical style. Until 1895 he devoted himself mainly to folkloristic research and his early musical output was influenced by...
(in the Sinfonietta
Sinfonietta (Janácek)
The Sinfonietta is a very expressive and festive, late work for large orchestra by the Czech composer Leoš Janáček...
- two bass trumpets in B). György Ligeti
György Ligeti
György Sándor Ligeti was a composer of contemporary classical music. Born in a Hungarian Jewish family in Transylvania, Romania, he briefly lived in Hungary before becoming an Austrian citizen.-Early life:...
used the bass trumpet as one of Nekrotzars "Entourage" instruments in his opera Le Grand Macabre
Le Grand Macabre
Le Grand Macabre is György Ligeti's only opera. The opera has two acts and its libretto – loosely based on the 1934 play, La Balade du grand macabre, by Michel De Ghelderode – was written by Ligeti in collaboration with Michael Meschke...
. However, as with the Wagner tuba and the contrabass trombone, Wagner's other additions to the opera house orchestra for Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
, the bass trumpet has not become a regular member of the orchestral brass and is seen rarely.
Notation
The bass trumpet is usually notated in the treble clef. The bass trumpet in C sounds one octave lower than written, the bass trumpet in E sounds a major sixth lower than written and the bass trumpet in B sounds a major ninth lower than written. Wagner's transpositions include bass trumpet in E, E, D, C and B, though players often have parts for the bass trumpet transposed into C to play on the C bass trumpet.Performers
Cy TouffCy Touff
Cyril James Touff was a jazz bass trumpeter. He was one of the few jazz musicians known as a bass trumpeter. He was also associated with West coast jazz even though he spent most of his life in Chicago.He started on piano at age 6 and went on to play xylophone and saxophone before settling on...
was one of the few jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musicians to play the bass trumpet and while the bass trumpet is usually played by a trombonist, British trumpeter Philip Jones performed on the bass trumpet while employed by the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
.
Salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
musician and trombonist Willie Colón
Willie Colón
William Anthony Colón is a Nuyorican salsa musician. Primarily a trombonist, Colón also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in municipal politics in New York City.-Early years:...
plays a Getzen
Getzen
The Getzen Company is a family owned manufacturer and wholesaler of brass instruments. The present product portfolio consists of Trumpets, Cornets, Flugelhorns, Trombones and a Baritone Horn. Four Generations of the Getzen family have participated in the company.-Founding:In 1939, Anthony James ...
bass trumpet and can be heard improvising on the Fania label recordings Maestra Vida part 1 La Fiesta, Siembra Buscando Guayaba, Cruz and Colon Zambullete, Doble Energia Cuando Tu Quieras and Canciones Del Solar De Los Aburridos Tiburon.
Leonhard Paul of Mnozil Brass
Mnozil Brass
Mnozil Brass is an Austrian brass septet, founded in 1992.-History:All founding members were graduates of the renowned Vienna College of Music, who met while playing at the Mnozil pub in Vienna's first inner city district....
(an Austrian based brass group consisting of three trumpets, three trombones and a tuba) plays bass trumpet regularly with the ensemble, incorporating its use in many different styles. Up until late 2006, he played a traditional rotary valve bass trumpet made by Gebr. Alexander
Gebr. Alexander
Gebr. Alexander, of Mainz, Germany, is a manufacturer of instruments, founded in 1782 by Franz Ambros Alexander and still in business today. The company claims to be the oldest musical instrument manufacturing company in Germany.-History:...
of Mainz. Now he plays a totally redesigned bass trumpet by Schagerl.
Jazz trombonist Elliot Mason
Elliot Mason
Elliot Mason is a jazz trombonist. He also plays the keyboard and the bass trumpet. He has been praised by such musicians as Michael Brecker for his technical facility and innovative harmonically complex improvisation.-History:...
, who plays with Wynton Marsalis's Jazz at the Lincoln Centre Orchestra as well as leading his own bands, regularly plays the bass trumpet.
Rashawn Ross, trumpet player touring with the Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
, who has also performed and recorded with the likes of Usher, Ludacris, Maceo Parker, Robert Randolph and Roy Hargrove regularly plays Bass trumpet. His equipment includes a silver plated Getzen
Getzen
The Getzen Company is a family owned manufacturer and wholesaler of brass instruments. The present product portfolio consists of Trumpets, Cornets, Flugelhorns, Trombones and a Baritone Horn. Four Generations of the Getzen family have participated in the company.-Founding:In 1939, Anthony James ...
Bass trumpet and a Mount Vernon B flat trumpet made by the Vincent Bach Corporation
Vincent Bach Corporation
The Vincent Bach Corporation was an American manufacturer of brass musical instruments that began early in the twentieth century and still exists as a subsidiary of Conn-Selmer. The company was founded in 1918 by Austrian-born trumpeter Vincent Schrotenbach .-Vincent Bach:Vincent Schrotenbach was...
.