Virtuoso Canadian trumpeter Richard Carson Steuart, a 20-year Kanstul Performing Artist, took on and completed the challenge of building a replica of the “Clarino” trumpet, as was played by the famous German trumpet genius, Johann Gottfried Reiche (1667–1734). Reiche, himself a highly acclaimed virtuoso, was the Solo Trumpeter for whom Johann Sebastian Bach wrote and in some cases even rewrote his most challenging and difficult secular and religious works involving the trumpet. This began immediately after Bach’s arrival in Leipzig in 1723, when he assumed the prestigious position of “Director Chori Musici Lipisiensis” (Musical Director of the City of Leipzig), a position he was to maintain until his death in 1750.
Steuart, who has been researching and building his “Clarino” trumpet since 2015, has cooperated with Kanstul since 1997 on many instrument designs and research developments, including the Kanstul rotary-valve trumpets and specifcally for Baroque Music, his most remarkable contribution to date: the celebrated Model 1520 Bb/A/G piccolo trumpet. He also designs and builds refined and exclusive instruments and mouthpieces, both of historical and modern design, under his own brand La Tromba Music Productions in Germany.This new “Clarino” trumpet, as well as other prototype La Tromba instruments both as La Tromba and Kanstul/La Tromba cooperation instruments, will be performed on and offically presented for the first time in public by Richard Carson Steuart personally, in a special lecture and concert—to be film documented—on the 18th of November, 2017.
The lecture-concert will take place in the “Historical City Hall” in Leipzig, Germany, on the exact location where Johann Gottfried Reiche, employed his entire professional career by the City of Leipzig, reaching the status of “Senior Stadtmusicus” (Senior Performing City Musician) in 1719, served his regular musical duties right up to the day of his sudden death on October 5th, 1734.
Some details on the La Tromba “Clarino” trumpet from the La Tromba Website:
Developed from 2015 to 2017 by Richard Carson Steuart for La Tromba Music Productions, Wuerzburg, Germany, this hand-made prototype “coiled trumpet” is pitched in Baroque F (415 Hz) and plays in all keys from high F (i.e. for the 2nd Brandenburg Concerto) down to low Bb (with added bows).
It is pictured here with the new La Tromba “Reiche Model”–”Clarino” Baroque Trumpet mouthpiece and is bound in the historical colors of Friedrich August II, Duke of Saxony and King August II of Poland-Lithuania 1670–1733. King August was a generous patron of the Musical Arts to whom both Bach and Reiche pleadged their loyality and performed special duites, for which he in turn, rewarded them both with gracious summs of money as a suppliment to there usual wages from the City of Leipzig.
This “Clarino” project in Leipzig was inspired by Elias Gottlob Haussmann’s (1695–1774) portrait from 1726/27 of Johann Gottfried Reiche, which according to Steuart was very possibly commissioned either by the City Elders of Leipzig or even King August II himself to commemorate Reiche’s 60th birthday. The subject is holding a pure-silver and gold “Clarino” trumpet, obviously the true “Bach” Trumpet, without intonation keys nor holes nor slides nor valves of any kind (which Steuart proposes was most probably a special personal gift from King August II to Gottfried Reiche for exceptional service to his King and country!) Reiche died following the first performance of Bach’s Cantata 215; “Preise dein Glücke, gesegnetes Sachsen” written specifically for the memorial concert for King Friedrich August II which took place directly in front of the Historical City Hall in Leipzig and under no less than Johann Sebastian Bach’s personal musical direction!
We’re all looking forward to this truly unique and special performance by Richard.
You can download a promotional flyer in German here.
