On this day, in the musical instruments room, were
three tromba marinas, two in playing condition! The tromba
marina, which had its day in Europe between the 15th and 18th
centuries, is usually over 6 feet tall, and roughly conical, with
a flat belly sporting a single playing string and a bridge that
is designed to rattle against the body, producing a high
trumpet-like sound. The player bows the instrument only an inch
or so from the nut, and touches the string lightly with his thumb
between the bow and the bridge, producing harmonics. The tromba
marinas used in the demonstration had 50 sympathetic strings, all
tuned to the same note as the playing string. The instrument is
designed to sound the upper partials of the long playing string,
giving it about 20 notes, spread over 4 octaves. Only about half
of these notes play strongly and in tune.
The sound of the instrument is difficult to describe. The 50
sympathetic strings give it a subtle celestial ring, while the
trumpet bridge produces a cutting trumpet-like melodic buzz. Most
notes are very slow to speak, and short bleeps and squawks are not
unusual, making the whole effect strange and otherworldly, rather
than heavenly. Playing it seems more like coaxing a wild animal,
than operating a fine machine.Dr. Cecil Adkins is the Regents Professor of Music at the University of North Texas, and author of the only English text in print on the history of the tromba marina. Dr. Adkins spoke for at least an hour and a half about the instrument. First, he explained that the instrument underwent several name changes, first it was called a Trumscheit, then Tromba Marina or Marine Trumpet, then Nonnengeige or Nun's fiddle. It seems the word Tromba is related to the German words for drum, and trumpet, probably because the bridge drums on the belly of the instrument and sounds like a trumpet. Marina on the other hand has no real meaning related to this instrument.
That settled, he demonstrated the parts of the instrument and the
scale that it played. Cecil and his daughter Madeline proceeded
to play duets which was very special, but the high point was
hearing Madeline perform Sonata no. 1 from "Suonate per la
Tromba Marina" by Lorenzo de Castro. What a thumb! I was
surprised what interesting music could be written for an
instrument of so few notes. Most of the pieces they played were
written between 1660 and 1770 and sounded very fanfare-like.It was a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of tromba marina information and I would like to thank Darcy Kuronen for organizing this lecture. If you want to learn more about tromba marinas, try the sources listed below: