From the Foreword:

Johann Wilhelm Hertel was born in 1727 and died in 1789. His principal positions as Kapellmeister were in Strelitz and Schwerin, the latter court being noted for its long tradition of employing trumpet-players.

He is considered by musicologists to belong to the so-called Berlin school; he was on friendly terms with the leading members of that school: Emanuel Bach, Quantz, the Bendas, and the Grauns. Ernst Ludwig Gerber in 1790 reckoned him “among our composers possessing the finest taste” (Historisch-Biographisches Lexicon der Tonkünstler, Leipzig 1790-2, Vol. 1, column 629). Despite Gerber’s praise, Hertel is not particularly well known today. The reason for his neglect can be found in the composer’s own character trait of modesty, even self-abasement. He only published a few of his compositions, thus preventing his music from becoming better known except to specialists.

The present concerto is the longest and most highly developed of Hertel’s three trumpet concertos from the point of view of form.

Hertel’s individual movements are usually in three parts: a first section at the tonic, preceded by a long orchestral introduction in several parts; a second section at the dominant, preceded by a shorter orchestral introduction; and a third section at the tonic with a still shorter introduction. The last trumpet flourish is usually very showy, like a cadenza, and gives way to an orchestral conclusion taken from the opening material. The first movement of the present concerto is faithful to this pattern, and the second as well, with the exception that its second part is in the relative major (E-flat), the movement itself being in C minor. The third movement’s second section is developed more extensively, with longer episodes on the dominant, the sixth degree (in minor), and once again the dominant; the tonic is not reached until the final trumpet call, which leads into the orchestral conclusion. Hertel’s orchestration is very transparent and nearly always for strings in three rather than four parts.

Check out some sample pages of the solo (for Piccolo trumpet in Bb) and piano score, then click above for an immediate PDF download.