Brass Bulletin No. 39

Jean-Pierre Mathez

Behind a musician’s instrument lies a quiet industrial battle, as European, American and Japanese makers compete to shape the future of brass playing.

Ursula Menzel

Restoring historic brass instruments means deciding what to preserve, what to undo and how modern methods can serve objects shaped by another musical age.

Alfred Willener

Intonation, held notes and mouthpiece work shape James Stamp's subtle approach to trumpet playing, where listening and physical economy guide technique.

Wilfried Buck

What happens when performance anxiety is treated like a medical condition rather than a musical one, and where does that boundary ultimately lead?

Daniel Bourgue

Centuries-old hunting signals still shape performance today, where technique, ritual and oral tradition preserved a musical language unlike any other brass practice.

Sue Scott

A private collection built through one musician's lifelong search became an unexpected center for brass history, where every instrument carries a story beyond its display.

Jacques Poncet

Long-held beliefs about the French hunting horn are challenged as forgotten playing practices and Baroque traditions reshape its early history and repertoire.

Jean Gotthold

Long before modern standards took hold, bass trombones existed in many forms, raising questions that still shape orchestral writing and performance today.

A tromba marine virtuoso

Albert Hiller

A forgotten string instrument leads to an unexpected treasury of Baroque trumpet music, challenging long-held assumptions about repertoire and performance.