“The horn has an exceptional response to every articulation in every register.”
John Pendenza, top-level professional lead trumpeter, played the research prototype trumpet in a demanding three-hour contemporary music concert performance without having previously played the trumpet. The research trumpet playing qualities were compared to those of the trumpeter’s Bach Stradivarius model 43 trumpet, which is considered one of the better professional trumpets. His findings follow:
“At first, I was lipping many notes, and I was fighting the horn. Notes that I normally lip didn’t need my help. I finally stopped fighting the outstanding pitch accuracy of the horn. Playing became amazingly easy, and I didn’t use any lipping or alternative fingerings. The horn has very solid slots and the notes are well-centered, yet I could bend notes without a problem. The horn has an exceptional response to every articulation in every register. I had no problem making the notes speak. The sound was very pure, rich, and full of harmonics. The horn projected very well, and the upper register was bright at full dynamic volume. I was less fatigued than expected, and I recovered sufficiently to play double Cs and Ds the following afternoon.”
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