One nineteenth century Frenchman with an exceptionally long name -- Joseph Jean Baptiste Laurent Arban -- is, among players of cornet and trumpet, a single-named man, Arban. His Grande méthode complète pour cornet à pistons et de saxhorn (1864) stands unchallenged as the bible of the cornet virtuoso and is likewise well known to players of the trumpet. His Fantasy and Variations on "The Carnival of Venice" is such a standard showpiece that it has been played on every wind instrument from saxophone to tuba. However, this has ...
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One nineteenth century Frenchman with an exceptionally long name -- Joseph Jean Baptiste Laurent Arban -- is, among players of cornet and trumpet, a single-named man, Arban. His Grande méthode complète pour cornet à pistons et de saxhorn (1864) stands unchallenged as the bible of the cornet virtuoso and is likewise well known to players of the trumpet. His Fantasy and Variations on "The Carnival of Venice" is such a standard showpiece that it has been played on every wind instrument from saxophone to tuba. However, this has not gained Arban any acceptance among great composers or even very many recordings outside of his one big hit. Prior to University of Mississippi professor Charles Gates' Centaur recording Twelve Celebrated Fantasies and Airs Varies, the only performer to accord Arban his own compact disc was French trumpet virtuoso Guy Touvron for the obscure Ligia Digital label. This Centaur disc also benefits from the fact that it represents a standard Arban text in its entirety, the Twelve...
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