Sidestepping my line of straight mutes during a recent performance of Puccini’s Turandot – and nearly sending a couple flying into the under-stage depths — I started wondering how many people would be surprised to find out that I use three different straight mutes for a performance of an 84 year old Puccini opera? After all, my part to Turandot doesn’t call for such a wide array of devices. Puccini simply writes “Con Sord” when he wants you to put a mute in and “Via Sord” when he wants you to take it out. Pretty simple. So why have I, in turn, shown up with an arsenal of mutes to play a trumpet part which calls for only a single one? You could argue that my mute use for this is overkill, or possibly even that I’m violating the composers intent by using mutes that would have been totally inconsistent with the mutes in use at the time the opera was written (and let us hope that I have not, in one fell swoop, created a whole research area concerning the period practice of trumpet mutes in the early 20th century, complete with a rabid following of trumpet historians tolling the incredible sins we “modern performers” commit by not using period correct mutes to perform pieces from that era. Mahler symphonies with a pre-World War I straight mute? I think I’ll pass. Anyway, I digress…) I am confident, however, that I am not stirring the peaceful rest of maestro Puccini through my choice of mutes. Quite the contrary, I believe he would be pleased to see that I am giving so much thought to each muted passage and how it fits into the surrounding texture. In order to see why, let’s take a closer look at the various uses of “Tromba con sordina” in Turandot.

As I mentioned above, there is only one type of marking in the part to indicate that the trumpet is to be performed with a mute — Con Sord. — but the array of musical settings in which Puccini uses this marking is dizzying. There are passages that are loud and percussive, others that are lyrical (both soft and loud, low and high), some that are soft and punchy, some that are just plain soft (and by soft I mean really soft!). But beyond the wide variety of style that exists in the different muted sections, there is an equally wide array of textures into which the trumpet part must exist. Some passages are with full orchestra, some with only one other player. At times the whole section is playing and at other times the writing is solo, and you often find yourself playing solely with strings, winds, or brass (and of course all combinations). In short, the variety of passages where Puccini calls for muted trumpet is immense, and it demands that the player have a chameleon-like quality, able to adapt quickly to the character and color of the surroundings. Now, it is possible to achieve a degree of this with a single straight mute, but by using a wide array of straight mutes, a modern performer can better adapt the instrument to fill these various roles, enhancing the pallet of colors which the instrument is capable of producing. That alone would be reason enough to haul a bevy of straight mutes to a gig, but that is not the only reason. In addition to the opportunities to explore color and texture, there are practical concerns that can just as easily determine the choice of mute for any given passage. Any particular mute has a set of characteristics, and I like to group these characteristics into the following categories: color, volume, pitch, and what I call quirks. Using those categories, let’s examine the straight mutes I use for Turandot.

1. Denis Wick (metal)
   • Color – Brilliant and searing in loud passages while maintaining a good sense of breadth in the sound (not too narrow). This mute will cut through thickly orchestrated passages and is capable of biting percussiveness, making it ideal for loud articulated passages. As the volume drops, the sound warms to a certan degree, making it a balanced and versatile tool. This is my standard “go to” straight mute.
   • Volume – This mute performs well at all dynamic levels, but doesn’t offer much help in soft passages. It excels at mezzo forte and up, but in a pinch, it can be used in very soft passages.
   • Pitch – It’s sharp! Perhaps sharper than you might think (or want). Putting this mute in is a 2-step process: insert mute, adjust tuning slide. This is not a big deal at all, unless you don’t have time to adjust the slide, then it becomes problematic. The relative pitch of the mute is very good, though, with no extra compensation required in the upper or lower registers.
   • Quirks – High B is almost never good on these mutes. It tends to be stuffy and has a less penetrating color. Because of that, I will sometimes opt for a different metal mute for passages that have prominent high B’s (the first movement of Pines of Rome is a good example). This mute is also a bit weak on low register articulated passages.
2. TrumCor Lyric (mystery wood/fiber)
   • Color – Veiled, covered. It sounds like canvas (as opposed to velvet). The sound isn’t overly warm, but it does knock out a lot of high overtones, which is very useful in certain passages. The pleasant yet unobtrusive color blends well with strings and winds.
   • Volume – Excellent in piano passages, but unlike most soft mutes it can project up to a reasonable mezzo forte.
   • Pitch – Don’t touch that slide! This baby doesn’t really effect the overall pitch level of the instrument.
   • Quirks – The mute plays evenly and well in tune. It does the job it is supposed to do and, if required, can even do jobs it isn’t supposed to do. It will never be the mute used for loud penetrating passages, but it does it’s job solidly and can survive better than you might think in louder passages. My only gripe? I wish it had a warmer,more velvety sound quality.
3. Marcus Bona Small (fiberglass)
   • Color – Warm, velvety, broad sounding, slightly diffuse in character.
   • Volume – This mute is free blowing and open, so it is capable of a very wide dynamic range. It is not, however, the optimal choice for soft passages as it doesn’t offer much resistance to blow against. It excels in lyrical mezzo piano to forte lines.
   • Pitch – Like the TrumCor Lyric, no adjustment needed. Put it in and play.
   • Quirks – This mute is a wonderful choice for many passages, but it is deceptively bad at articulated passages. From the players perspective it gets a nice bite in the articulation, but my experience has shown that it doesn’t have the crisp quality of the Denis Wick, and what crispness it does have tends to die not far off the end of the bell. That may seem like a negative, but that is exactly the quality that makes this mute such a good choice in lyrical passages. It can handle searing articulated writing in a pinch, but it doesn’t excel at this. Put it in for soaring lyrical writing, however, and smile. This is a very useful tool.

So there you have it, 3 very different tools that help me adapt to whatever the part demands. If a passage is very soft and is played with woodwinds, then it is perfect for the TrumCor Lyric. If it is loud and heavily articulated, it’s perfect for the Denis Wick. Basically, I just look for the right tool for the job. Sometimes it will take me a few rehearsals to figure out exactly what mute works best, but that process of experimentation is valuable and necessary to achieving the highest quality product. Honestly, I think Puccini would be quite happy with the result. So the next time you see that ubiquitous “Con Sord.” in your part, give a little extra thought as to what exact mute from your collection is best for the job. If, however, your mute collection consists of a “silver one” along with some old “band-room discoveries”, then the first step will be to go buy some good mutes. Whatever the case, I encourage you to always keep those ears open and be willing to experiment with different mutes until you have one that fits the music perfectly. I can assure you, you will be happy you did.

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