Maurice André spent part of his youth working in a mine until his father, an amateur trumpeter, encouraged him to study with a family friend. His almost 300 recordings helped spearhead the resurgence of interest in Baroque music that surfaced in the 1960s. Though he retired a few years ago his performances are still very popular - and with reason. Commenting on this video of the Allegro from the Haydn Trumpet Concerto, captured in Heidelberg with the Muncher Philharmonik, someone said: ...he looks like he has just come down for breakfast, found an orchestra in his garden and picked his trumpet up to play. The right balance of effortlessness and indulgence. His performances were always like that.
The trumpets are sounding a bit sweeter in the heavenly realms today.
26 February - 1917: The Original Dixieland Jazz Band records the first jazz record, for the Victor Talking Machine Company in New York.
