F.G.A. Dauverné, 20 Etudes variées pour trompette chromatique, Ed. Jean-Louis Couturier (Noisy-le-Sec France: Sempre più Editions SP0014, 2012).
Louis Ganne (1862-1923), Vieille chanson Fantaisie-Gavotte pour cornet et piano, Ed. Jean-Louis Couturier (Noisy-le-Sec France: Sempre più Editions SP0022, 2012).
Today Louis Ganne is regarded as a minor 19th century composer, but in his day Ganne was highly regarded and composed over 200 works (including songs, comic operas, operettas, ballet scores, and many dance pieces). Ganne entered the Paris Conservatoire where he studied organ under César Franck and began his career as a composer and conductor. Jean-Louis Couturier has brought out this lovely cornet solo piece to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth. [Editor's note: the publisher has put a short audio excerpt of the work on their website BP]
The source of this edition is in the Bibliothéque nationale and was first published in 1888. This short piece (91 measures) is a lively and spirited work of modest difficulty and a modest two octave range, A - a''. The piece is filled with 16th note and some 32nd note passages reminiscent of pieces in the Dauverné method of some three decades earlier. This edition includes a piano part as well as C and Bb cornet parts. It is a welcome addition to the cornet repertoire.
Couturier’s edition of Dauverné’s 20 Etudes variées pour trompette chromatique is actually several selections from the famous method of 1857. This modern edition numbers the etudes 1 – 20 but in fact they are from different sections of the method and have a different original numbering. Etudes 1-12 in this edition are from “12 Etudes Melodiques” (page 248 in my facsimile edition published by International Music Diffusion). Etudes 13- 17 correspond to numbers 1 – 5 in the original edition in the “20 Etudes Caractéristiques et Mélodiques” section (page 266 in the IMD edition) and Etude 18 in the Courturier edition corresponds to Etude 20 in the original edition. The last etude in the modern edition, no. 19, corresponds to Etude 11 in the original edition (page 230) from the section titled “12 Etuders Mélodiques”. Courturier did mention those different sections in his fine notes (in French and English translation by Elizabeth Guill) but it would have been helpful if this edition had indicated the original numbers. Courturier presents parts that are transposed from the original notation with parts for Bb trumpet. My edition had an extra Erratum page correcting an unfortunate measure rest which is not in the actual part. Courturier’s edition in a great improvement over the facsimile edition in that it is less cramped and much easier to read than the original. The music is printed on large size sturdy stock. We owe Jean-Louis Couturier much thanks for his research in 19th century French brass music and look forward to future editions.
-- Jeffrey Nussbaum
