Maurice Benterfa: Tonalités: Gemischtes Duett

The Concerto Tonalités is a work in three movements which calls upon the complete technical resources of the trumpet player. The concertante accompaniment by timpani continues a half a millenium of the common history of these two instruments. This piece is also useful in instrumental pedagogy for advanced students (in particular, the clean and full attacks of the timpani can be an excellent help for the trumpet player in developing the proper feeling for staccato). I. Héraldiques (Bataille de Tolbiac) The first movement displays the heroic character of the trumpet and exploits with bravoura the entire range of the instrument. II. Spasmodiques (Des frissons couraient sur son corps) The second movement is lyrically modern, and exploits contemporary techniques as well as certain special tonal effects (for example, removing the first valve slide). III. Danceries (Les sorcières de Salem) The third movement is a very virtuostic and lively dance where the soloist is invited to show off his creative powers in a passage of free improvisation.