Keyed Trumpet History

The trumpet is an instrument that many ensembles use for its versatility. A composer may write for a bright, high sound for the new salsa chart, or a composer may choose to write for a warm, dark orchestral composition. This opportunity would not be this accessible without the help of three individuals, Joseph Haydn, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, and Anton Weidinger. Their influence on changing the trumpet greatly changed the future of the instrument and the music. The instrument was revolutionize, as the trumpet evolved from a valveless horn, that only played certain pitches, to a Baroque trumpet that had key holes to help tune the same pitches, to the keyed trumpet. Even though the keyed trumpet itself was deemed a failure at the time, this lead to a change that greatly influenced the modern day horn and the music.. The music greatly change thanks to the keyed trumpet’s unique …show more content…
His friendship with Franz Joseph Haydn, and Haydn’s interest in music innovation, lead to the composition of the Trumpet Concerto. After Weidinger performed the piece, composer J. N. Hummel became interested in the instrument as well, which lead to the creation of the his own Trumpet Concerto. Both men composed such pieces because they were intrigued with the keyed trumpet, and wanted to see what new ideas and colors they could produce. The keyed trumpet ultimately failed due to the shift in role that the trumpet was going through. Composers were shifting from the military and religious soloist approach to a more tutti sound that required the trumpets to play a supporting role of making the cadences more effective. Thanks to the shift, the creative minds of the duo (Haydn and Hummel), and Weidinger’s concept, the trumpet started taking its modern form when it got valves and was inspiring composer to write