This professionally re-engraved and transposed set of orchestral trumpet parts greatly eases learning and performance of the work. Available as PDF download or hard copy (9" x 12"). You can buy the parts individually or as a package:
- Trumpet 1 in C
- Trumpet 2 in C
- Trumpet 3 in C
- 6 Onstage Trumpets in C
Notes from the Editor
All trumpet parts (in the orchestra or on-stage) originally appearing in F and B-flat now appear in concert pitch, and with correct enharmonic spellings.
I originally prepared the Trumpet 1 part of Turandot for a full production of it in 2014. The original parts are admittedly not the worst opera parts I've come across, but while consulting the score as I prepared that Tpt. 1 part, I started noticing a lot of missing and inconsistent articulations and dynamics between the score and original Tpt. 1 part. I thought to myself that at some point it would be a service to the industry to correct all of those issues.
Another of my main concerns was the difficult navigation of the extreme ledger line usage below the staff due to the parts appearing for Trumpet in F. It's bad in the Tpt. 1 part, and gets progressively worse in the Trpt. 2 and 3 parts. Nobody wants to see passages with written D's four ledger lines below the staff - and nobody should have to. Now, nobody does.
I have added quite a bit of the on-stage trumpet part passages (originally referred to as "sulla scena" parts in the score and titled "Tromba sul palco" in the individual extracted parts) into the three orchestral parts. Not only do these sections assist in cueing, but also appear for the benefit of smaller productions where extra musicians might not be hired to play the six on-stage parts. These passages appear in 85% size, and are indicated as "(banda)." I've added "(loco)" to indicate when the banda passages end and orchestral trumpet parts begin again.
Bars 99-101 of Act three are the end of the famous tenor aria "Nessun Dorma." More often than not, the opera comes to a pause to accommodate the audience acknowledging the tenor role. To add to the drama of the moment, I have added an optional 8va indication to the Tpt. 1 and 2 parts.
The Andrew Bishop Orchestral Editions explore the concept of how these orchestral masterworks would appear if they were composed today. There are myriad differences in how music is currently published compared to when many of these works were originally engraved. “Tradition” is usually the (poor) excuse I hear when the topic of updating these masterworks is discussed – most often in reference to transposition(s). As a performer and teacher, I remain committed to the practice of honing vigorous transposition skills. However, there are many of these original engravings set in keys that are truly antiquated, and make almost no sense whatsoever to keep perpetuating. Transposition, however, is the least of the issues most of these original editions suffer from. Paper is no longer a premium and scarce product, and therefore the practice of cramming as much material on a page is not necessary. “Readability” was obviously not a concern with copyists of the times, and it is my opinion that the music suffered because of it. Therefore, a ”Bish Edish” (as they are popularly referred to) features many upgrades, including:
- Judicious spacing throughout the engraving (not too cramped, not too open)
- Correct enharmonic spellings of notes. This is an unfortunate byproduct of writing in asinine transpositions.
- A careful reconsidering of cue usage.
- Corrections of many inconsistencies between original parts and score, and even between parts themselves.
- The addition of measure numbers, including helpful ranges listed under multi-measure rests.
- Deleting key signatures and writing all parts utilizing accidentals only.
- All parts are formatted for standard Concert 9x12 paper, and is best printed on that size.
Reading it on 8.5x11 is not ideal, but the compression percentage isn’t too significant. Similarly, reading it off a larger tablet (e.g. iPad Pro) doesn’t present any significant issues.
In some instances, there are other upgrades specific to individual works that will be mentioned within the respective product. If you happen to find something questionable that you would like to bring to my attention, please feel free to do so at: trptshallsound@gmail.com. If it is something that I need to correct, I will be happy to do so and make sure you receive a corrected part/parts. If you have other works that you would like to have a custom edition made, please also reach out with that as well.
Andrew Bishop, Editor
