What Is a Bach Trumpet?
A Bach trumpet is a high-quality trumpet named after its inventor, Vincent Bach. It was developed in the early part of the twentieth century by Bach, a European immigrant with strong musical and engineering skills. Although the creator died in 1976 and manufacturing moved from the East Coast to the Midwest, the instruments are still considered to be of high quality, fit for both students and professional trumpet players.
Other People Are Reading
-
Vincent Bach
-
Vincent Bach was a virtuoso trumpet player from Baden bei Wien, Austria. Born Vincent Schrotenbach in 1890, he changed his name to Bach while touring in America and England. His career in music was not linear. His father was a successful manufacturer who did not think highly of musicians; therefore, Vincent enrolled in an engineering school at the age of 15. While there he took music lessons from the lead trumpeter of the Vienna Opera Orchestra, Josef Weiss. Since Bach excelled at both math and music as a child, these two pursuits may have helped him later in his life as he created trumpets.
Bach in America
-
Vincent Bach toured various countries in Europe and ultimately came to the United States to perform. Due to anti-German sentiment which followed World War I and his own weariness from touring, he redirected his efforts using his engineering skills. Bach bought a lathe and started to create mouthpieces, improving upon designs of the time. His initial success came by filling niches that other manufacturers missed. Trumpets may be made in a variety of keys like B-flat, C and D, among others. Bach created instruments that were made in various keys so that conductors and musicians needing such trumpets for a particular piece could get them in the United States, instead of ordering them from overseas.
-
Significance
-
Due to the high degree of craftsmanship of the instruments, Bach's trumpets have came to be greatly prized by musicians. Other instrument makers include Monette. Monettes are played by noted musicians like Wynton Marsalis.
Bach's Today
-
Bach instruments were originally made in New York City. The company moved its manufacturing center to Mt. Vernon, New York and then to Elkhart, Indiana, where the trumpets continue to be made today.
Current Ownership
-
Bach instruments are made by Conn-Selmer, a division of the Steinway Corporation.
-
