Composer, Conductor, Cornetist: A Biography of Jean-Baptiste Schiltz (fl.1831-1868) and a Survey of his Works for Cornet and Piano

Abstract

In its heyday, the cornet was a popular instrument and the brass instrument of choice for virtuosi worldwide. Cornet soloists such as Jean-Baptiste Arban (1825–1889) and Herbert Lincoln Clarke (1867–1945) impressed audiences with their technical prowess, and the solos they composed for cornet are in wide use today. However, the story of the cornet did not start with Arban or Clarke; an entire generation of cornetists had come before them, and they too wrote their own solos. This generation of cornetists was crucial in the development of the instrument. As performers, they helped to refine the cornet from a musical experiment to an immensely popular instrument, and as composers, their solos helped to propel the cornet on this popular path and inspired later virtuosi like Arban and Clarke. This disquisition addresses the limited information on early cornetists and their solos by providing new information about composer-cornetist Jean-Baptiste Schiltz (fl.1831-1868). Though Schiltz was an important figure in Paris during the first half of the nineteenth century, little has been written about him or his compositions. By consulting contemporary periodicals and modern scholarship, I am able to provide new biographical information on Schiltz, who was a pioneering performer on cornet, trumpet, and trombone. Additionally, I conduct a survey of Schiltz’s many works for cornet and piano. By thoroughly examining some of the surveyed works I demonstrate that Schiltz had a clear understanding of the capabilities of early cornets and cornetists, and that he chose particular melodies, keys, and even the length of the cornet itself in order to work around limitations. I also describe the historical value of the surveyed works and their possible uses today. Ultimately, this disquisition demonstrates that Schiltz was an important historical figure, and that his works for cornet and piano are valuable additions to the trumpet repertoire and ideal for trumpet instructors to use with students.