Winds of Spring

The baroque trumpet had many attributes that made it perfect for a composer to single it out as a soloist with an orchestra or chamber group — agility, lightness, long sustained notes combined with its ability to play short, quick staccato and most of all it was loud. Its pleasing timbre could be heard over the din of the ensemble, especially in large halls or church settings. Eventually a virtuoso class of player began to emerge and composers took note. Vivaldi, Stölzel, Torelli and Telemann all recognized these attribute and it's not surprising they wrote works that prominently feature the trumpet. The trumpet at this time was valveless and the skill and facility of the player were at a premium, as notes were played not only as partials of the fundamental but were lipped up or down — a dangerous and, frankly, nerve racking way of making music.