It's a generally held belief that the String Quartet began around Haydn's time. Haydn began putting together works for this now accepted combination of instruments. What is now common, was not in that day. We don't know who the first violinist was in performances of Haydn's early works. Imagine that they worked tirelessly to spread the word about this new form of chamber music. That person no doubt laid down the earliest roots that grew into chamber music for the now mainstay String Quartet. As this person was to the String Quartet, Robert Nagel was to the Brass Quintet.
Robert Nagel did everything that anyone could to will a new medium of chamber music into existence. It would have iconic by itself to have formed the New York Brass Quintet in 1950s and begin bringing brass chamber music to audiences. This alone, would have made the man a pioneer. He went so far beyond this.
Nagel was also prolific as a soloist and freelancer. Our personal favorite is his early 1960s recording of Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 with Pablo Casals. It has influenced many ever since who have struggled to sound as effortless as Nagel did on this recording. He also made time to perform with Bernstein and Igor Stravinsky.
Nagel went beyond performing and exerted tremendous influence on composition. He did this firsthand with arranging and composing. His sphere of influence went beyond by being a constant emissary to those composing for the brass quintet for the first time. The massive rise of literature for the brass quintet can be directly traced his tireless advocacy.
Nagel also passed along his craft through teaching at Yale, Juilliard, and a number of other institutions. He was also a founding member of the International Trumpet Guild.
In a single man's lifetime, he was able to begin a movement and see it take hold in a meaningful way. That movement has affected us all in a meaningful way.
What is now common, was not in that day. Thank Robert Nagel for that.
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