Elements | Unaccompanied Music For Solo Trumpet

Elements for solo trumpet is a piece inspired by the music of Claude Debussy. I think that Debussy and other impressionist artists like Monet and Manet had the extraordinary ability to be expressive through finding and sharing the elements they believed to be the most essential. The elements of nature and the elements of our perception, inspired the impressionists and this piece of music.

In writing a piece for solo trumpet, there is a need to create both melody and harmony within one line. While writing this piece, I was interested in exploring the way that melodic fragments can create both harmony and melody while moving across key areas. I’ve always enjoyed the improvisations of the great trumpeter Woody Shaw and his ability to use intervalic structures to create solos that hold together, while going against established harmonies.

This piece is designed to take into consideration the idiomatic nature of the trumpet. It was my goal to write an unaccompanied trumpet solo that could fit nicely into a solo trumpet recital, or stand alone on another program. If you are interested in performing this piece, sheet music may be purchased here.