(Fr. trompette marine; Ger. Trumscheit, Nonnengeige, Marien Trompet, Trompetengeige; It. tromba marina).
A bowed monochord equipped with a vibrating bridge (see Bridge (i), fig.1d) in common use from the 15th century until the mid-18th. In its fully developed form the instrument is capable of sounding all of the pitches of the harmonic series up to the 16th partial. Analysis of the tone of the trumpet marine shows an extremely complex wave form whose partials are in the audible range up to about 14,000 Hz (the 25th partial). Comparison of its tone with that of a modern brass trumpet shows that the partials of the latter drop off sharply after the 10th or 11th partial. The use of a straight mute, however, heightens the upper partials of the trumpet so that it begins to show the same configurations as the trumpet marine for the first six or seven partials.
In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification the trumpet marine is a bowed lute (or fiddle).
CECIL ADKINS
The history of the trumpet marine may be divided into two overlapping periods: the first extending from 1450 to 1650, the second from 1550 until the late 19th century. During the first half of the 15th century a vibrating bridge was added to the drone string of the dichord (another monochord derivative stemming from the late 12th century) as a means of enhancing the tone or increasing the volume. At this time the dichord was common in two forms: a long instrument of approximately two metres which was played with its lower end resting on the ground (fig.1) and a shorter instrument held against the breast with its open end projecting into the air (fig.2). The instrument with the vibrating bridge eventually became known as a Trumscheit and existed concurrently with the dichord until the mid-16th century when the latter disappeared.
When playing the shorter instrument it was more convenient to bow it close to the nut while supporting the body with the left hand. Although earlier representations show this string used only as a drone, the performers probably discovered that other pitches could be produced by touching the string at the nodal points, and in his Dodecachordon of 1547 Glarean described the sounding of trumpet blasts. Supporting the instrument with the hand, however, precludes any manual dexterity, and the short string places the upper partials so close together that their performance is impractical.
Users of the longer instrument did not encounter these problems. In the late 16th and early 17th centuries the technique was evolved to make the trumpet marine a more satisfying musical instrument. Mersenne, describing the full range of available pitches, remarked in 1636: ‘I do not doubt that it would be played perfectly if one should employ as much time as is done in playing the viol or the lute’. Although Mersenne, Praetorius and other 17th-century writers mentioned only trumpets marine with a long pyramidal body (fig.3), a newer style with a more pleasing tone had been invented in the late 16th century. Apparently of German origin, the earliest of these newer instruments, of which examples still exist, may date from the third quarter of the 16th century (fig.4a).
By the third quarter of the 17th century public knowledge of the name ‘trumpet marine’ was such that composers could use the instrument to reinforce a seafaring image. The origin of the ‘marine’ part of the name is not known, although in earlier times it was attributed to its use by sailors as an instrument or as a signalling device on ships – hypotheses for which there is no substantiation. Nor is there any proof of its derivation from ‘Mary’ or the name of the 15th-century trumpeter Marin (or Maurin). Similarly, Sachs's tracing of it to the Polish tub maryna is erroneous, as are the implications fostered by Martin Vogel's derivation of the name from the Hebrew. It is interesting, nonetheless, that in German-speaking countries the instrument had some real association with convents; according to Rühlmann it was still in use in Marienthal (Saxony) in 1885. Of the 70 trumpets marine surviving in museums in these areas, at least 35 were acquired from local cloisters.
For some 75 years (from about 1650 until about 1725) the trumpet marine seems to have been a popular instrument. Besides the hundreds of examples constructed during this time, over 300 pieces, including some concerts, sonatas and suites, were composed for the instrument. Also surviving are 56 arrangements from the works of Lully. Public performances were numerous, e.g. the programme attended by Pepys at Charing Cross in 1667, the frequently cited quartet performance offered at the Fleece tavern in 1675 (not 1674, as has been so widely printed), as well as a river performance mentioned in the Mercure galant of 1677. The trumpet marine was often used in Swiss collegia, and instruction was given on it in some Scandinavian schools. Numerous scientific papers on the instrument were prepared in the decade preceding 1700 in both England and France. In the latter country trumpet marine players were part of both the royal establishment in Paris (from 1679 until 1767 – there were five listed in 1760 alone, all doubling on the cromorne) and the orchestra of the Archbishop of Lyons (1715–21). Even as late as 1752 trumpets marine were sought for purchase through newspaper advertisements (Nuremberg, Frag- und Anzeige-Nachrichten, 1752, no.94).
In spite of its wide acceptance, critics of the instrument were plentiful. The harsh remarks of Virdung and Agricola, and Sebastian Brant's characterization of it as a fool's device, were, however, directed at the older form of the instrument. 17th-century critics, aware of its popularity, were more subtle, often referring only to the way it attracted animals, or was preferred by the bourgeoisie. By the mid-18th century its decline was apparent: Dom Caffiaux described its sound as insufferable; J.R. Wettstein ungraciously satirized it in an ink drawing of a Basle music society (c1792); and to Berlioz, writing in 1859, the trumpet marine was ‘a triton's conch, capable of frightening asses’.
The known music for the trumpet marine [tpt m] is contained mainly in the works of ten composers:
J.-B. Lully: Xerxes, 1660, entrée 4, movts 2 and 3; tpt m, str
J.M. Gletle: Musica genialis latino-germanica op.4 (Augsburg, 1675): 2 sonatas and 36 unacc. duets
C. Huber: Geistliche Seelenmusic (St Gallen, 1682, 4/1705): 8 short duets (only in 4th and later edns]
V. Molitor: Epinicion Marianum (St Gallen, 1683), ‘nam clarinis, 2. violini, vel etiam tubae marinae commodissime substitui possunt’
N. L'Armessin: partial tablature displayed in ‘Habit de musicien’, Les costumes grotesques et les métiers: XVIIe siècle (1695/R)
A. Scarlatti: introduction to Act 4 scene i of Il Mitridate Eupatore, 1707; 2 tpt m, 2 muted tpt, timp, str
J.-B. Prin: 367 pieces, some with ob, str, in 4 MSS, 1702–42, F-LYm
W. Iten: Pastorella media nocte, 1738, 2vv, 2 vn or 2 tpt m; De S.P.N. Benedicto, 1751, 1v, 2 vn, 2 tpt m, bc [begins ‘Eia clarae tubae lacto sono intonare’]; MSS both in CH-EN
L. de Castro: [14] Suonate per la tromba marina (92 movts; MS, late 18th-century, D-Dl); 4 movts ed. F. W. Galpin in ML, xiv (1933), 29 only; 2 movts in Grove5
Anon.: Cantus à 10: De Immaculata Virgine Maria (MS, A-Sn), 2vv, 6 clarin or tpt m, bc; ed. K. Ruhland (Ebersberg, 1990)
Anon.: 3 pieces and a duet of 17th- or 18th-century Dutch provenance
M. Keller: Sechs kurze und leichte Aufzüge (MS, c1834, D-AÖhk), 3 tpt m or 3 tpt, timp, org ‘wilkürlichen Orgelbegleitung’; ed. U. Wolfe (Leverkusen, 1985)
Two other items erroneously included in lists of trumpet marine music are Trumpet Tunes, Aires, Marches and Minuets (London, 1698), which (according to Thurston Dart, GSJ, vi, 1953, pp.35–40) is for the chalumeau; and Vivaldi's Concerto in C rv558/p16 for pairs of recorders, violins ‘in tromba marina’, salmoè, trumpets, mandolins and theorbos with strings and continuo, where the ascription may be interpreted ‘two violins, in the style of a tromba marina’. It should also be noted that the assumption made by E.J. Dent, and subsequently J.A. Westrup, that the ascription trombi marina in Act 4 scene i of Il Mitridate Eupatore indicates that these are two trumpets played on board ship is without foundation.
In its most popular form the trumpet marine averages 190 to 200 cm in length and consists of a hollow, open-ended resonator with an attached solid neck (fig.4). The neck ends in a pegbox surmounted with a head, shield or scroll, and has as a tuning device a peg or machine head. The form of the latter, depending on the age of the instrument, is: a vertical screw, turned by means of a knob on the end of the instrument (oldest form); a ratchet and pawl, sometimes in combination with a peg; or a worm gear. Only rarely is the tuning device mounted in the lower end of the instrument. The belly is usually of pine, and the staves, of which there are most often five or seven, are of pine, maple or a similar hardwood. The belly is braced with several lateral slats or ribs, and the staves are reinforced with cloth, paper or, not infrequently, strips of old parchment.
Other, less common features include the guidon, used to adjust the distance of the free foot of the vibrating bridge from the belly; a rose or soundhole, used mainly for decoration; sympathetic strings; inlays of hard material under the vibrating bridge; or other acoustical treatment. The guidon, a feature found on perhaps a third of the instruments, is an essential adjunct to facile performance. One end of a thin string is attached either to the bridge or to the main string below the bridge. The other end is fastened to a peg in this area or guided to one on the upper body or neck of the instrument. Mersenne, illustrating another approach to the problem of adjusting the bridge, wrote:
It is very difficult to fit this bridge so that it trembles as it must, for if one errs only slightly, the quivering becomes too strong and disagreeable or too weak. Thus one is often many hours in finding the point of perfection that one desires.
The guidon was used at least as early as 1660. Sympathetic strings are rarely found even though they are frequently described as an integral part of later instruments. Interior sympathetic strings were first mentioned by Randel Holme in 1680; however, sympathetic strings do appear on the outside of the instrument pictured by Praetorius (Theatrum instrumentorum, 1620).
Glarean mentioned the use of nails or ebony on the foot of the vibrating bridge as a means of increasing the volume. Although one finds a few 18th-century instruments so equipped, the practice was seldom followed because it emphasized the brittleness of the tone. More commonly the entire vibrating bridge area was inlaid with hardwood, but this may have been as much to prevent excessive wear as to enhance the tone; many old instruments show signs of having had several bridge sites. The 16th-century practice of coating the interior back and sides of the instrument with ground glass serves to restrict the vibrations of these areas; this allows the belly to vibrate more freely and greatly reduces the attendant noise level.
More than 180 trumpets marine are preserved in museums. Of this number, five are 16th-century instruments. There seem to be no extant examples of the triangular-shaped instruments in either size, although several museums exhibit 18th-century versions or later reproductions based on pictures or early descriptions. Makers are known for about one fifth of the instruments. In the following list the number of known instruments for each maker is indicated either by multiple dates or by a number placed after a single date. P. Alletsee, Munich (1732, 1737); J. Berger, Landshut (c1685); Johann Balthasar Berler (Bieler), ?Switzerland (1689); Robert Brenner, England (1765, advertisement); Nicolas Duclos, Barcelona (1763); Thomas Eberle, Naples (1773, copy after Praetorius); Johann Ulrich Fischer, Landshut and Munich (1720, 3; 1722, 2; c1725; 1728, 2); Goutenoire, France (early 18th century); Frederick Hintz, England (18th century, advertisement); Matthias II Hornsteiner, Mittenwald (1790, 2); Rudolf Hoss, Munich (c1700, 1701); F. Houyet, Namur (1680); R. Imbert, France (1715, Prin's favourite builder); Jacobs (1702); G.A. Janke, Saxony (1682, 2); E. Lewis, London (c1700); MFSB (?Andreas Ferdinand Mayr), Salzburg (c1720, 3); J. Ott, Füssen (1727, c1732); Claude Pierray, Paris (1730, 1750); Sebastian Renault, Paris (c1760, 2); Pieter Rombouts, Amsterdam (1730); Seraillac, France (early 18th century); Gemiano Sighnolfi, Nonantola (1773); Johan[n] [S]tassar, Switzerland (1674); L. Tobi, ?Germany (1702); Tywersus, ?Lorraine (16th or 17th century, 2); IBST (1702); J. Weiss, Salzburg (1702); Gregori Ferdinand Wenger, Augsburg (c1713, 4).
A skilled performer is capable of producing a variety of effects. It is possible, for example, to alternate the trumpet-like timbre with the normal sound of the harmonics, or to expand the usual playing range, by means of auxiliary pitches, to two full octaves. For the most part melodies use the 6th, and 8th to 13th partials; however, there are many instances, frequently in duets, where auxiliary pitches are required adjacent to the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th partials. These pitches (ex.1) speak best when approached diatonically, as they always are in the music. When this is taken into account there is no justification for the frequently held opinion that trumpets marine of several sizes were used for duets or ensembles.
Tonal
variety is achieved in trumpet marine music in ternary forms by allowing the
ensemble to play the alternating sections in another key. Beyond this,
temporary modulations to the subdominant are made by using the flat 14th
partial. The 7th partial, an octave lower, is never used. The dominant can be implied
by using the second and fifth scale steps, or more strikingly the sharp 11th
partial. For example, in the key of C the f'' is used as both an f
'' and an f
''. In many pieces the
tonality is actually shifted to the dominant key by using this pitch as a
leading note.
The music is liberally ornamented, usually with a small cross or an occasional simple appoggiatura. Since all of the pitches were traditionally stopped with the thumb or one finger, even short trills can be technically demanding. Regarding the difficulty of the instrument, Mersenne noted that ‘one meets few men who play it well, because the thumb or another finger must run with a certain measure and speed … which is not easy to imitate’. Prin's only remarks about ornamentation concern the trill, about which he said: ‘with practice one will master it, provided that one does not become discouraged’.
Performers of the trumpet marine mentioned in this dictionary include Jean Danican (c1610–79) and his son André Danican Philidor (b ?Paris, c1652; d Dreux, 11 Aug 1730); see Philidor family); Jean-Baptiste Prin (c1699–after 1742); and Luigi Taglietti (1668–1715).
MGG1
L. Vallas: ‘J.-B. Prin et sa méthode de trompette marine’, Revue musicale de Lyon, ix (1911–12), 78–87
G. Kinsky: ‘Trumscheite’, Musikhistorisches Museum von W. Heyer (Cologne, 1912), ii, 311
J. Pulver: ‘The Tromba Marina or Trumscheidt’, The Strad, xxv (1914–15), 15–17, 56–7
D. Fryklund: ‘Studien över marintrumpeten’, STMf, i (1919), 40–57
T. Norlind: ‘Bidrag till marintrumpetens historia’, STMf, iv (1922), 97–101
P. Garnault: La trompette marine (Nice, 1926)
W. Schuh: ‘Das Trumscheidt in der schweizerischen Barockmusik’, Neue Zürcher Zeitung (8–9 Aug 1929)
F.W. Galpin: ‘Mr Prin and his Trompette Marine’, ML, xiv (1933), 18–29
C. Adkins: ‘New Discoveries in the Development of the Trumpet Marine’, IMSCR XI: Copenhagen 1972, 221–7
M. Vogel: ‘Zur Etymologie von “tromba marina”’, IMSCR XI: Copenhagen 1972, 696–701
C. Adkins and A. Dickinson: ‘A Trumpet by any Other Name: Toward an Etymology of the Trumpet Marine’, JAMIS, vii (1982), 5–15
J. Sehnal: ‘Hudební inventár stráznickych piaristu z roku 1675’, Casopis moravského muzea, lxix (1984), 117–28
E. Kullmer: Mitschwingende Saiten: Musikinstrumente mit Resonanzaiten (Bonn, 1986)
C. Adkins and A. Dickinson: A Trumpet by any Other Name: a History of the Trumpet Marine (Buren, 1991)