Haydn’s trumpet concerto double-edged sword for Newman
Joseph Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto is perhaps the most famous score written for the brass instrument. The Regina Symphony Orchestra’s principal trumpet, Miles Newman, will take centre stage at the Conexus Arts Centre on Saturday night for Miles plays Haydn.
During a recent phone interview, Newman said Haydn was one of the biggest names to write for the trumpet, and the concerto’s acclaim is double edged.
“It’s more challenging when you play something people know because there is a preconceived notion of how it could go,” said Newman.
Haydn, a contemporary of Mozart, wrote the concerto for his friend Anton Weidinger in 1796, when the Austrian musical scene began experimenting with a new kind of trumpet, along with the rest of Europe. Up until this time, the trumpet was keyless or so-called natural. Weidinger developed a keyed version (later replaced with modern piston keys), and Haydn wrote the concerto to premier the new instrument.
“Every time you play a piece you do research on it,” said Newman. “It gives you an idea of the style.”
He encouraged audiences to keep an ear out for the second movement, which he called a “beautiful tune.”
“As trumpet players, we don’t often get these beautiful singing melodies … The first movement has the challenge of trying to recreate that excitement of the first performance (in the 18th century.)”
Newman’s solo spot is third on the evening’s program. The RSO will open with Mikhail Glinka’s Russian and Ludmilla Overture, a lively and recognizable excerpt from the Russian opera. This piece will be followed by Canadian composer John Estacio’s Such Sweet Sorrow, and Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1 is the night’s finale.
The show will mark guest conductor Gordon Gerrard’s third appearance with the RSO and his first as music director designate. He has been with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra since 2012, and he will assume the RSO music director role in July next year to replace soon-tobe-retired Victor Sawa. During a phone interview, Gerrard said he’s thrilled to step into the designate title with Haydn’s music.
“What’s great about Haydn is he isn’t afraid to break the rules sometimes … My job as the conductor with the orchestra is to shape this piece for Miles.”
Incidentally, Gerrard has a connection to the second score on the bill, Such Sweet Sorrow — he is friends with Edmonton-based creator John Estacio.
“He has such a unique way of speaking to people’s emotions through music,” Gerrard said about Estacio’s composition. “It’s really a way to get into the centre of the string section to get some beautiful shapes and sounds.”
To end the show, the RSO will take on the Finnish Symphony No. 1 by Sibelius. Gerrard said the early-20th century composer was a kind of loner with a unique mind.
“It’s an evocative piece. It’s opens in a mournful way, but the end is a life-affirming, lyrical tune for the whole orchestra. It takes you on a journey.”