The trumpets apparently sounded quite lively, at first, in the acoustic of Salle Colonne. I suggested that we should place some carpets on the wooden floor in front of us to try to soften the sound: these appeared very quickly and seemed to do the trick. The dampening meant that we could play with a full sound without having to hold back all the time. 

We were able to play the vast majority of the programme on natural trumpets, though a quick crook change necessitated the use of a period valved trumpet in the second trumpet part in Wagner’s Lohengrin. The first trumpet part in Bellini’s Norma requires a trumpet in E-flat which has numerous non-harmonic notes, both in the onstage and offstage ‘Banda’ parts (Will Russell and I played both the on and off stage parts).

Bellini’s Norma was premiered at La Scala in Milan in 1831. A method book written in 1835 by Giuseppe Araldi, the first trumpet player at La Scala, shows that the natural trumpet, keyed trumpet and valved trumpet were all in use at the time. Therefore, it is quite plausible that Bellini’s first trumpet part could be for a keyed trumpet, which was a popular choice of instrument in Italian opera at this time. I decided to make an edition of this method book, which is available here.

Therefore, I decided to play Bellini’s Norma on the keyed trumpet. The trumpet part (or at least the extract we played from this opera) requires only two keys, and the part sat very well on my three-keyed instrument, made by David Staff. Will Russell played the second part on a valved trumpet (in F). This is also a very plausible option. Will and I began the fanfare section, which is accompanied by a tam tam. Jean-Daniel Souchon and Antoine Azuelos then joined us, playing French period natural trumpets in E-flat, for the remaining offstage calls.

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L-R Will Russell (2nd trumpet), Russell Gilmour (1st trumpet), Jean-Daniel Souchon (3rd trumpet), Antoine Azuelos (4th trumpet), François Bogaert (1st trombone), Baptiste Deschamps (2nd trombone), Nicolas Cunin (3rd trombone) and Marc Girardot (ophicleide).

The opening of Richard Wagner’s Introduktion und Gebet des Rienzi featured a solo long ‘G’ on the natural trumpet in E-flat: this should be in the excerpt books! It is very exposed and requires a great deal of dynamic control. Sometimes it is the simplest things that require the greatest control and nerve. It really could not be more different to Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, which I had the great pleasure of performing with this orchestra only last week. I’m looking forward to rejoining Les Talens Lyriques in the lead up to Christmas for an extensive Bach Weihnachtsoratorium tour of Holland, which begins in just a few days. Paris was beginning to look very festive. Here is a view from inside Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann:

 

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I am looking forward to hearing the finished disc: it was only a year ago we were recording the Tribute to Pauline Viardot CD with Marina Viotti, which is wonderful CD. Once again, huge thanks must go to all who organised this recording, and in particular to the orchestra’s librarian, Claire Fonvieille, who sourced the editions of these many works—no small undertaking!