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AN ENGLISH CONCERT - Matthias Höfs & Matthias Janz

Behind this title is a program of works by English masters from the Renaissance to the late Baroque, arranged for trumpet and organ, played on modern instruments: 4-valve piccolo trumpets in G-, A- and B-tuning, as well as a Marcussen organ (1983) with 41 stops on 3 manuals and 256 stop-combinations.
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Is it still legitimate and appropriate today to use modern instruments for the performance of early music, since the trend towards historical performance practice seems to be unbroken? We found it especially appealing to adapt the recorded repertoire for our instrumentation. At the time of Johann Sebastian Bach, it was common practice to rewrite works for different instrumentations. For example, Johann Sebastian Bach‘s concertos for 2 to 4 harpsichords and strings BWV 1060 – 1065 are arrangements after concertos for solo violins (solo oboes) and strings. The Concerto in A minor for 4 harpsichords BWV 1065 even goes back to an original by Antonio Vivaldi (Concerto for 4 violins and string orchestra).

With natural trumpet and historical organ, our repertoire selected for this CD would not be playable. The originals are mostly composed for flute or recorder and were arranged for trumpet and organ by Matthias Höfs and Matthias Janz for this recording. With the technically advanced instruments of our time, literature that was originally reserved for woodwinds or strings is finally becoming accessible to trumpeters. Nevertheless, our rendition of early music with modern instruments is oriented towards historical performance practice. Conversely, the high level of today‘s music scene has certainly had a positive influence on the quality of playing on old instruments.

“The Division Flute” is a collection of variation pieces for recorder published in London in 1706. “Divisionplaying” was a very common form of music-making in England towards the end of the 17th century. “Divisions” were chains of variations over an ostinato bass (ground) with an improvisatory character. The 16th century English song “Greensleeves” forms the basis for our version. The nine movements of the “Old English Dances” come from a collection of Elizabethan dance movements for harpsichord, mostly from the Fitzwilliam Virginial Book (around 1600).

Only 6 of the recorder concertos by John Baston, an English recorder virtuoso, have survived. They are all virtuoso “showpieces”. At the beginning of the 18th century, he performed his solo concertos himself during intermissions at the theater. John Stanley, who went blind at the age of 2 as a result of an accident, was an organist and violinist. He held a special position as leader of the “King’s Band of Music” and organist of the “Chapel Royal” in London. He frequently conducted Handel‘s works, which certainly influenced his compositional style. Like many composers of his time, he also used the parody method. George Bickham was an engraver and editor of a collection of songs entitled “The Musical Entertainer”. Published in London in 1737, the volume contained 100 engravings of songs by English composers. Robert Woodcock was a composer and recorder player, of whom only “XII Concertos” for wind instruments have survived. Interestingly, in the Concerto No. 3 recorded here, the corner movements (with the exception of 8 measures) are identical to a flute concerto by Jacques Loeillet.

George Frideric Handel finally settled in London in 1712. The sonatas printed there appeared under the title “Solos For a German Flute, a Hoboy or Violin With a Thorough Bass for the Harpsicord or Bass Violin, Opera Prima”. Instrumentation indications at the time were merely suggestions. The Sonata in G Major, Op. 1, No. 5 seemed to us to be very suitable for our instrumentation precisely because of the typical trumpet motif at the beginning of the second movement. Perhaps it is the Trumpet Voluntaries that have made the instrumentation of trumpet and organ so popular. Characteristic of the festive, upbeat Voluntaries are the organ repetitions of the preceding trumpet phrase. In the original, the voluntaries by Boyce, Stanley and Stubley are works for organ or harpsichord.
Matthias Höfs & Matthias Janz

AN ENGLISH CONCERT

Matthias Höfs & Matthias Janz

Contents
Booklet
BERLIN CLASSICS

For a long time little or nothing was known about the composer who wrote the most interesting trumpet concerto of the 19th century in the Romantic style. Born in 1870 near Dresden into a family of musicians, Oskar Böhme studied in Germany and Hungary and then emigrated to Russia, where he even changed his citizenship to improve his chances of getting a place in one of the great orchestras. Despite his efforts to integrate perfectly into Russian society, his German origins were his undoing when the Bolsheviks seized power. With this album, Matthias Höfs aims to shed light on the composer and musician Oskar Böhme who was previously in the dark. He presents a rare recording – his third with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen – of beautiful, expressive and romantic music.

TRUMPET CONCERTO & PIECES

Contents

If there’s one thing that makes Christmas what it is, it’s festive music and uplifting melodies: “Festive Trumpets for Christmas” is the new Christmas album from Matthias Höfs, which was published by Berlin Classics on November 5, 2021. On this new album, the trumpeter joins his brass ensemble and organist Christian Schmitt in a wide-ranging programme. The instruments of the musicians ring out in triumphal tones, brilliantly nuanced, capturing the joy and splendour of the Christmas festival. There are works by Albinoni, Handel, Vivaldi, Morales and Scheidt, along with arrangements by Peter Lawrence, Nikolaus Herman and Matthias Höfs himself.

FESTIVE TRUMPETS FOR CHRISTMAS

Contents
Album bestellen/streamen Order/stream album
BERLIN CLASSICS Releases Matthias Höfs BERLIN CLASSICS Releases & News

Trumpeter Matthias Höfs gives on his new album “The Trumpets of Matthias Höfs“ an insight into his private trumpet collection. From baroque to jazz, the history of the trumpet is brought to life. Musical partners on the album are, among others, Concerto Köln, German Brass, Virtuosi di Praga

THE TRUMPETS OF MATTHIAS HÖFS

Contents
THE TRUMPETS OF MATTHIAS HÖFS (Official Album Trailer) Video to CD
Order/stream album

RUDENS TURKU FESTIVAL ENSEMBLE – JUBILEE

New chamber music recording with Matthias Höfs (trumpet), Rudens Turku (violin) and ensemble Wolf Kerschek: “Festival Rhapsody”

RUDENS TURKU FESTIVAL ENSEMBLE - JUBILEE | Order from www.jpc.de. Order

BACH – TRUMPET CONCERTOS

Matthias Höfs & Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen

Contents
BACH - TRUMPET CONCERTOS Video 1 to CD
Video 2 to CD
Video 3 to CD
Video 4 to CD

KIND OF GOLD

Matthias Höfs
& Ensembles

Contents
KIND OF GOLD Video to CD

TELEMANN
TROMPETEN
KONZERTE

Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Matthias Höfs, Trumpet

Contents
TROMPETENKONZERTE TELEMANN Video to CD

MOZART con TROMBA

Matthias Höfs, Trumpet
Anke Dill, Violin
Stefan Fehlandt, Viola
Gustav Rivinius, Cello
Florian Wiek, Piano

Contents
Mozart con Tromba Video to CD

FIREWORKS

Matthias Höfs, trumpet
Kenichi Tsujimoto, trumpet
Tomonori Sato, trumpet
Christian Schmitt, organ

Contents
Video to CD

HOMMAGE!

Matthias Höfs, trumpet
Christian M. Kunert, bassoon
Wolfgang Zerer, harpsichord

Contents
Video to CD

LIVE IN JAPAN

Matthias Höfs and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra

Contents

ADVENTURES OF A TRUMPET

Matthias Höfs plays Wolfgang Kerschek
Hamburger Symphoniker & Jazztrio

Contents

SOLO DE CONCOURS

Matthias Höfs (trumpet)
and Stephan Kiefer (piano)

Contents

TRUMPET ACROBATICS

Matthias Höfs and the Hamburg Philharmonic Soloists

Contents

GANSCH MEETS HÖFS

Matthias Höfs, Hans Gansch – trumpets

[PDF] Interview with Matthias Höfs
Contents

UN CONCERTO
ITALIANO

Matthias Höfs (trumpet) – Hartmut Rohmeyer (organ)

Contents

BASSOON CONCERTOS
of the 20th century

Kammerakademie Potsdam
Sergio Azzolini (bassoon and direction)
Matthias Höfs (trumpet)
Maurice Bourgue (conductor)

Contents

Buy CD’s and releases

Matthias Höfs’ CD’s and releases are available at:
BERLIN CLASSICS Releases & News BERLIN CLASSICS Releases
Apple music
jpc – Passion for music
Spaeth-Schmid Blechbläsernoten

Video & Audio

Trumpet works from five centuries

NDR Kultur: Matthias Höfs with trumpet works from five centuries
(Video/Audio: 55 min & Interview, 04.02.2023)

At the age of six, Matthias Höfs already knew that the trumpet would become his instrument because it shines so beautifully! This was followed by the beginning of a brilliant career that led him early to the front ranks of the German brass band.
He has been on stage regularly for decades, including with the well-known ensemble “German Brass”. He is also a professor at the University of Music and Theater in Hamburg. Höfs is an institution in the field of classical trumpet. His love of experimentation knows no bounds, his range of high brass instruments seems to be inexhaustible.

At NDR Kultur he has played works from five centuries together with his piano partner Nikita Volov.

Matthias Höfs & Ensemble – Samuel Scheidt: Canzon Cornetto SSWV 56 (Arr. für vier Trompeten)

Matthias Höfs – Kind Of Gold (Official Album Trailer) | Matthias Höfs & Ensemble

Matthias Höfs & Ensemble – Maria durch ein Dornwald ging (arr. by P.J. Lawrence) #berlinclassics

Matthias Höfs – Oskar Böhme: Liebeslied (Offizielles Musikvideo) #berlinclassics

Matthias Höfs & The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen: Oskar Böhme – Entsagung, Op. 19

Ben van Dijk – Bass Trombone with Matthias Höfs

Boehme v1

Matthias Höfs – Kind Of Gold – Space Heroes (Teaser)

Der Mond ist aufgegangen (Offizielles Musikvideo)

Italienisches Konzert in F-Dur, BWV 971: I. Allegro (Offizielles Musik Video)

Händel – Sonate in F-Dur, Op. 1, Nr. 11, HWV 369: II. Allegro

Erik Morales: The North Star Suite (Bach-Weihnachtsoratorium/ Trompete)

G. F. Händel: Sonate in F-Dur, Op. 1, HWV 369

Unity For Peace (Bach Choral Nr. 9 „So sei nun, Seele, deine“) #UnityForPeace

Trumpet Excerpts – Fantasy (Stephan Peiffer) – Split Screen Music Video

Matthias Höfs & Anaëlle Tourret: Debussy – The Girl with the Flaxen Hair #Ukraine #Spenden

Matthias Höfs & Anaëlle Tourret: Ravel – Pièce en forme de Habanera (for Trumpet & Harp)

Matthias Höfs & Anaëlle Tourret: Ibert – Entr’acte (For Trumpet and Harp) #Ukraine #Spenden

JazzHall Large Ensemble – Summertime (feat. Nils Landgren, Matthias Höfs)

Matthias Höfs & Ensemble – W. A. Mozart: Quartet F major No. 30, KV 370 – call for donations

The unique combination of harp (Anaëlle Tourret) and descant horn, later piccolo trumpet, is presented in Matthias Höfs’ arrangement of “Pavane pour une infante défunte”, in which Ravel’s idea of tonal perception is transformed into a miniature.

Matthias Höfs Brass Project: Beethoven for Brass (Official Trailer)

Together with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Matthias Höfs has created an album that sheds light on the brilliant sound of the trumpet in the sophisticated melodies of Bach’s concerts.

“Let’s do this!” – Trumpeter Matthias Höfs and the HipHop Academy Hamburg present their musically fascinating potpourri of two worlds: “Telemann Meets Hiphop”!