Anthony Plog on Music

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Friedemann Immer: The Master of Period Trumpets and the Baroque, with more than 200(!) performances of Bach"s Second Brandenburg Concerto

Anthony Plog, host
Eddie Ludema, producer
Date posted: Nov 23, 2024

Few musicians have left as profound a mark on their instrument as Friedemann Immer has on the Baroque trumpet. Renowned for his ability to effortlessly tackle some of the most demanding works in the repertoire, Friedemann has recorded Bach’s iconic Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 an incredible ten times. In 2021, his contributions were recognized with the Christopher Monk Award from the Historic Brass Society. His career includes performances under legendary conductors and collaborations with esteemed ensembles like the Freiburger Baroqueorchester, Concentus Musicus Wien, and the Academy of Ancient Music in London. But his artistry doesn’t stop at the trumpet. Friedemann was the first to record Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto on the keyed trumpet, and as the founder and leader of the Trompeten-Consort Friedemann Immer, he continues to push the boundaries of historical performance practice. With over 200 publications through Editions Immer, he’s also a driving force in preserving and expanding the repertoire.

Part 1

In Part 1, we begin with a great story about one of his performances of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2. This leads us into a discussion about the challenges of playing high notes and how the text of a piece informs his interpretation, using the bass aria from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio as an example. We then dive into how Friedemann discovers “new” Baroque music, before moving to the topic of the keyed trumpet and his interpretive ideas regarding Haydn’s and Hummel’s trumpet concertos. The segment concludes with Friedemann sharing his deep admiration for conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt and what it meant to perform under his baton.

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Part 2 continues with an exploration of the differences between the Baroque trumpet and the piccolo trumpet, followed by a look at the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, including stories and concepts that bring the music to life. We then ask Friedemann to reflect on the similarities and differences among some of the legendary conductors he has worked with throughout his career. Finally, we discuss his Editions Immer series, delving into his invaluable contributions to the Baroque repertoire and its performance.



The podcast theme music, Four Sierra Scenes, written by Anthony Plog, is taken from Crystal Records S205, copyright ©1980 Crystal Records Inc., and is used by permission. Unauthorized duplication is not permitted.