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=== Wagner's bass trumpet === [[Richard Wagner]]'s first intention for ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'' was a bass trumpet in 13' E{{music|b}}, based on the instruments he would have come across during his dealings with military bands. However, while the opening section of ''[[Das Rheingold]]'' might indicate the use of such an instrument, the part quickly rises to G{{music|b}}5, which would be the nineteenth partial on this long instrument; Wagner understood [[:Category:brass instruments|brass instruments]] very well and saw that this was impractical. <!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Bach B188.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''Bass trumpet in B{{music|b}} with piston valves'']] --> While it was argued during the late nineteenth century (Oskar Franz: ''Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau'', 1884) that the instrument in question was actually pitched an octave higher, the instrument actually built by Moritz of Berlin on Wagner's personal instruction for the Munich theatre (according to ''Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau'', 1908) was pitched in 8' C with crooks for B{{music|b}} and A and sounded one octave lower than written.<ref name="grove-trumpet">{{Cite Grove |title=Trumpet |author1-first=Margaret |author1-last=Sarkissian |author2-first=Edward |author2-last=H. Tarr |id=49912 |chapter=§4. The Western trumpet; (i) Sizes and types }}</ref> The records of Moritz were not preserved, though a wide-bell bass trumpet with military-band proportions in 8' C with B{{music|b}} and A crooks does make an appearance in their post-1900 catalogue, while [[Gebrüder Alexander]] of [[Mainz]] offered a narrow-bore model in either E{{music|b}} or C. The model normally used today is in 8' C with four [[rotary valve]]s, and is played by a trombonist owing to the size of the [[mouthpiece (brass)|mouthpiece]]. Bass trumpets in E{{music|b}} are usually played by trumpeters as the mouthpiece is closer in size to that of the standard B{{music|b}} [[trumpet]]. [[Image:Basstrumpeter.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Duncan Wilson playing rotary bass trumpet in C with the BBC Symphony Orchestra]] Wagner wrote adventurously for his new addition to the brass section, exploiting open and muted effects, and extremes of range and dynamics. The bass trumpet is frequently featured in ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'', playing solos in every register, as well as playing in octaves, unison or harmony with trumpets, [[trombone]]s, and [[Wagner tuba]]s. Its very distinctive [[timbre]] is easily identifiable and Wagner used this new and unique tone colour extensively. However, as with the [[Wagner tuba]] and the [[contrabass trombone]], Wagner's other additions to the opera house orchestra for ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'', the bass trumpet has not become a regular member of the orchestral brass and is seen rarely. Other composers who have used the bass trumpet in the [[orchestra]] include [[Arthur Sullivan]] (in the [[opera]] ''[[Ivanhoe (opera)|Ivanhoe]]''), [[Richard Strauss]] (in the [[tone poem]] ''[[Macbeth (Strauss)|Macbeth]]'' and the [[opera]] ''[[Elektra (opera)|Elektra]]''), [[Arnold Schoenberg]] (in the [[cantata]] ''[[Gurrelieder]]''), [[Igor Stravinsky]] (in the [[ballet]] ''[[Le sacre du printemps]]'' – fourth trumpet doubling bass trumpet in E{{music|b}}), [[Leoš Janáček]] (in the ''[[Sinfonietta (Janáček)|Sinfonietta]]'' – two bass trumpets in B{{music|b}}). [[György Ligeti]] used the bass trumpet as one of Nekrotzar's "Entourage" instruments in his opera ''[[Le Grand Macabre]]''.
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