We need to enjoy the lessons learned in The Second Movement.
The first time I heard the Haydn Trumpet Concerto in E-flat was on a Boston Pops album with Arthur Fiedler conducting and Al Hirt playing the solo. The name of the album was “Pops” Goes the Trumpet. The other tunes recorded on that album included “La Virgen de la Macarena, Eili, Eili, Pavanne, Carnival of Venice, A Trumpeter’s Lullaby, The Toy Trumpet, Bugler’s Holiday, The Lost Chord, and Java.”
“Al Hirt?” You may be thinking. “Jumbo Al was a jazzer. Why would he record a legit trumpet concerto? And why with the Boston Pops of all groups?”
To answer the question, I have no idea. But, because he did, I had the experience of hearing the Haydn Trumpet Concerto in E-Flat on a 33 1/3 vinyl record before I even played my first note on trumpet.
I cannot say that after listening to that recording, I decided that I was going to be a trumpet player, but I will say that it positively influenced me.
As a musician and educator, I have heard many colleagues and students bemoan the second movements of compositions. For those of you who may not know, many times, the second movement of a composition is a piece of music that is slower and a lot more expressive with dynamics than the first and third movements. The first and third movements are typically played at a quicker tempo and contain a lot of flashy techniques in order for the musicians to shine.
Many complaints, especially from middle school and high school students, while working on the slower pieces, are: “This is boring. This is too slow. I don’t like it because it is stupid.”
Fortunately, I enjoyed playing the second movement of the pieces.
While in my first semester in college, I thought (for about 2 weeks) that the second movements were used as times to rest the chops. The range didn’t go too high, and the technical level was relatively low. Not too much finger wiggling needed.
However, my foolish thoughts were soon removed when Dr. Dalvin Boone became my trumpet professor. As my trumpet professor, he was never a music snob. He encouraged, instructed, directed, and mentored me in ways that helped me become a musician and not just a meathead, high-note trumpet player.
Through his endless supply of patience and tolerance, he opened my ears and brain so that I could create music instead of relying on volume and mouthpiece pressure to create noise.
Thank you, Dr. Boone, for being such an amazing instructor and trumpet player.
I have stated in a previous blog that I played the first movement of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto in E-flat for my music school audition at Indiana State University. I had only concentrated on learning the first movement for solo and ensemble contests as well as auditions. The other two movements, at the time, were only played when I was just “playing around on the horn.”
When I decided to play the Haydn Trumpet Concerto in E-flat for a recital, Dr. Boone began guiding me towards a level of musicianship that I never thought I would reach. I began to play with dynamics, emotion, and musicality. That may sound silly to some of you reading this, but up until that point, I was mimicking styles and sounds that I thought people wanted to hear. Through his instruction, I began to listen to the sounds coming out of my horn beyond the length of the bell. It was up to me to interpret and perform the music in the way the composer intended.
The responsibility and power required to perform at that level were not taken lightly. I cannot and will not say that my performance of the Haydn was at the level of Maurice Andre or Wynton Marsalis, but I can say that when I performed the Concerto at my recital, the audience heard glimpses of musicality through my instrument.
While preparing for the recital, I began to fall in love with the second movement. It was the first time since I began playing trumpet that I felt I had begun to play musically. Since that time, which has been many many many years ago, I have had the opportunity to play a lot of pieces that have challenged me musically. What I learned when I was a meat-head, high-note, play as loud as can be trumpet player, while learning the second movement of the Haydn Concerto, trained me to appreciate and perform every note of music in the future in the ways they were intended to be performed by the composer.
The second movement of a piece isn’t written to give the chops a break. Although they do offer that luxury many times, mentally and musically, they are an important part of the composition. The second movement may be written as a bridge between the other movements, tying them together as a melodic transition. It may be written as a way to give the soloist a physical reprieve before the barnstorming third movement begins, or it may be used as a palette cleanser for the listener between the first and third movements.
The important concept to remember about the second movement is that it was written for a reason.
Our lives may be lived in movements, too. Maybe a person’s life is being lived in Rondo form. Some may have quick and upbeat first and third movements with a slower and docile second movement. Some may have a Rondo form that is the opposite, with the quick and flashy movement in the middle of their lives.
Sometimes we have no idea what movement we are in during our day-to-day lives. We may be able to look back and say, “Wow, that was a pretty chaotic time for those years. Now, I can relax and prepare for what comes next.”
If that is the case, we are able to relax and reflect on what we learned in the first movement, apply and finesse what we have learned, and then create a fun and pleasant third movement that will end our recital or concert with applause and appreciation by those who attended.
For those who may abhor the slow movements, I ask that you take the time to learn the lessons that can be taught through the second movements. Better yet, listen to those who are trying to teach and guide you through those second movements. Many times, they are either living through their second movement or have begun their third movement in life and are trying to help you succeed.