Allen Vizzutti

Cascades

The founder of The Brass Press publishing house (taken over by Editions Bim in 1999) asked me to write a new work for trumpet alone. The result was 'Cascades', which was offered to all members of the ITG (International Trumpet Guild) as a supplement to their magazine in 1981. The first two bars of this piece consist of a motif that I played for fun when I was still at school. Three basic ideas structure the work: the angular and intervallic overture, the fingering combinations with crossed accents and the cantabile section. These three ideas are developed and recur throughout the piece. Cascades' is inspired by the waterfalls and the beautiful, steep, rocky mountains of the high Pacific Northwest of America. As a trumpet player, I can explore musical lines that are virtually impossible to notate on paper, but fascinating to play. This edition contains new indications that clarify my musical intentions and at the same time offer some breath breaks. However, it was never my intention to compile difficulties only as such. I have written 20 other, very interesting and very difficult etudes for the same period, which are brought together in one volume: 'Advanced Etudes' (Editions Bim/ The Brass Press, ref. TP182) Allen Vizzutti, November 2009, Mercer Island, WA, USA