Keyed Trumpet in G 1825 - 1850

Editor: Here we have a keyed trumpet in G, made sometime between 1825 and 1850, crafted from brass. It seems almost fragile with its intricate network of supports and keys. What's striking to me is the visibility of its construction. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Notice the material first: brass. This wasn’t some precious metal. This was the metal of industry, of affordability, impacting access to music. What strikes me are the visible joints and seams. The act of creation, the labor, it’s all on display, not hidden away like in, say, a gilded painting. Editor: So, you are saying that by using those materials it impacted music? I see what you mean about the seams. I didn’t pick up on that at first glance. Curator: Exactly! This trumpet represents more than just a pretty sound. Consider the baroque style. But juxtapose this elegance against the backdrop of burgeoning industrial production. The consumption, too. Music becoming less of an elite luxury, thanks to accessible materials and manufacturing processes. Editor: I hadn’t really considered it in terms of industrial production before. I always thought of art as separate from manufacturing. It almost seems utilitarian even with it’s detailing. Curator: Precisely! That tension, that inherent link between “high” art and the workaday world. Do you see how those keys change your understanding of consumption and artistry? Editor: Absolutely! It recontextualizes the trumpet, almost deconstructing its status as a purely artistic object. Thinking about it as something mass-produced opens it to more questions. Thank you! Curator: Indeed! We’ve gone beyond simply admiring its beauty, and that’s a perspective worth embracing.