The Art of Clarino: How Baroque Trumpeters Conquered the Highest Register Without Valves

In the courts of 17th and 18th century Europe, a select group of musicians held one of the most prestigious and demanding positions in any royal ensemble: the Feldtrompeter, or court trumpeter. These players spent decades mastering what was known as the clarino register — the upper partials of the natural harmonic series where stepwise melodies become possible.

Understanding the Harmonic Series

A natural trumpet without valves can only produce notes from the overtone series. In the lower register, these notes are widely spaced (octave, fifth, fourth), making melodic playing impossible. But from approximately the 8th partial upward, the harmonics become close enough together to produce scales and chromatic passages. This is the clarino register, typically written from C5 to C6 and beyond.

The difficulty cannot be overstated. Playing in this register requires extraordinary lip control, breath support, and endurance. The partials are close together, making accuracy a constant challenge. A slight miscalculation in air speed or embouchure tension sends the note crashing into an adjacent partial.

Gottfried Reiche: The Greatest Clarino Player

Johann Sebastian Bach's principal trumpeter in Leipzig, Gottfried Reiche (1667–1734), remains the most celebrated clarino player in history. The obbligato trumpet parts in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, the B Minor Mass, and numerous cantatas were written specifically for Reiche's abilities. These parts demand sustained playing above the staff with harpsichord-like agility — all on an instrument with no valves, no keys, and no vent holes.

Reiche reportedly practiced four to five hours daily to maintain his abilities and was known to perform well into his sixties, an extraordinary testament to his technique and physical conditioning.

The Modern Revival

Today, a growing number of performers specialize in natural trumpet, performing on either authentic reproductions or instruments with vent holes (a historically controversial aid). Players like Jean-François Madeuf perform without vent holes, arguing that the slight intonation differences are part of the instrument's authentic character. Others use minimal venting to achieve more reliable intonation in modern concert settings.

Whether you play modern or period instruments, studying the clarino tradition offers invaluable lessons in efficiency, air management, and the art of making music within physical limitations.