Meet the Musicians #14
Fletcher Cox plays Lachlan Skipworth’s Trumpet Concerto, Altiora Peto
Q & A with Fletch & Lachlan
L - It’s so exciting to know you’ll be performing at the Cygnus Arioso Winter Gala, especially for me as you’re the soloist in my mini-concerto Altiora Peto.
I want to start with a question about the piece itself. My commission brief was to write something optimistic and uplifting featuring the trumpet, rather than specifically a showpiece for virtuosity. So I’m curious what you as the performer aim to bring out in a piece like this, and if there are any particular challenges along the way?
F - When approaching any new repertoire, I always try and relate my process back to why it is I listen to music in the first place. For me (and I suspect most others), it’s to feel something. So I need to have a clear picture of the character or emotion behind a piece of music: is it happy/sad, extroverted/introspective, etc. or is it about something/someone/somewhere in specific. Once I have a clear idea of this, then I find as many moments in the music to bring this out. The challenge lies in making sure my technique and the smaller stylistic decisions match the big picture, but this process can be really fun; like a treasure hunt or solving a puzzle. One thing I love about this piece and all of your music in general, is that I never feel like I have to search too hard to find character or emotion in the music, or force anything into a place it doesn’t belong. It’s just so clearly and cleverly written into the music.
L - I’m also interested in the experience of playing as a solo brass instrument with a string orchestra. We joked about you not being able to do an up-bow, but could you tell us about how this instrumental combination works and feels?
F - I find playing with strings fascinating! As a brass player, it’s like speaking a different language. While we share the universal language of music itself, there’s so much contrast between string playing and brass playing. We produce sound in different ways, we face different technical challenges and even have different terminology for certain techniques, sounds and effects. This means that we have to take time in rehearsals to translate one another’s languages into our own, so that we can produce a unified end product. I love this process because I learn so much from my string colleagues, and I feel like that helps me become a better musician… despite still not having a good up-bow!
L - Also on the program is Copland’s Quiet City. Could you tell us a little about the piece and what we can look forward to?
F - I just love this piece so much. Copland originally wrote this to accompany scenes of a play of the same name, portraying a man haunted by the past he left behind to pursue greatness in New York City. For me, the magic of this work lies in how beautiful and atmospheric and introspective it is, which is the side of the trumpet that’s less frequently explored. Getting to have a dialogue with the Cor Anglais is also a challenge I welcome, as I have to match the lyrical qualities in what I’d argue is the most expressive instrument in classical music, especially when in the very capable hands of fellow soloist (and my good friend!) Jonathan Ryan. I can’t wait to perform this piece with him and Cygnus Arioso.
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Thanks Fletcher, and we can’t wait to play with you this Sunday!
Tickets available from the link below;