Afanfare (orfanfarade orflourish) is a shortmusical flourish which is typically played bytrumpets (includingfanfare trumpets),French horns or otherbrass instruments, often accompanied bypercussion.[1] It is a "briefimprovised introduction to an instrumental performance".[2] A fanfare has also been defined inThe Golden Encyclopedia of Music as "a musical announcement played on brass instruments before the arrival of an important person", such as heralding the entrance of a monarch[3] (the termhonors music for such announcements does not have the specific connotations of instrument or style thatfanfare does). Historically, fanfares were usually played by trumpet players, as the trumpet was associated with royalty.[4]Bugles are also mentioned.[5] Themelody notes of fanfare are often based around themajor triad, often using "heroicdotted rhythms".[4]
By extension, the term may also designate a short, prominent passage for brass instruments in an orchestral composition. Fanfares are widely used inopera orchestral parts, notably inRichard Wagner'sTannhäuser andLohengrin andBeethoven'sFidelio. InFidelio, the dramatic use of the fanfare is heightened by having the trumpet player performoffstage, which creates a muted effect.
The word has been traced to a 15th-century Spanish root,fanfa ("vaunting"). Though the word may beonomatopoeic, it is also possible that it is derived from the Arabic wordfanfáre ("trumpets"). The word is first found in 1546 in French, and in English in 1605, but it was not until the 19th century that it acquired its present meaning of a brief ceremonial flourish for brass.[1] Indeed, an alternative term for the fanfare is "flourish", as in theruffles and flourishes played by military bands in the US to announce the arrival of the president, a general, or other high-ranking dignitary.[6] "In the England of Shakespeare's time", fanfares "were often known as flourishes and sometimes as 'tuckets' " (a word related totoccata).[4]
In French usage,fanfare also may refer to a hunting signal (given either on "starting" a stag, or after the kill when the hounds are given their share of the animal). In both France and Italy,fanfare was the name given in the 19th century to a military or civilianbrass band.[1] In French, this usage continues to the present, and distinguishes the all-brass band from bands of mixed brass and woodwind, which is calledHarmonie.[7] The same applies in Belgium and the Netherlands, where competitions for fanfares are held to this day, well separate from other wind ensembles such asbrass bands andharmonies.[8] Fanfares have been imitated inart music as early as the 14th century. Examples in opera include a fanfare for the governor's arrival inBeethoven'sFidelio, act 2. In the 20th century, well-known composed fanfares includeAaron Copland'sFanfare for the Common Man (1942), for brass and percussion, andIgor Stravinsky'sFanfare for a New Theatre (1964), for two trumpets.[9][6]
Copland's Fanfare is one of a series of 18 commissioned byCincinnati Symphony Orchestra conductorEugene Goossens in 1942–43, each to open a concert. Each was to salute an aspect of the war effort; the U.S. had enteredWorld War II the previous year. The only one of these fanfares to become well known is Copland's; the others are rarely if ever performed or recorded. The set, with the date of the concert at which each was performed, is:[10]
