René Henkett's Trumpet Collection

Instrument Collection

Does Lidl Deal in Trumpets?

Trumpeter René Henket from Vaesrade has been traveling with André Rieu since the very beginning of the Salon Orchestra. He possesses a large collection of trumpets, and during his concert travels with the Strauss orchestra he searches for local trumpet methods. "I will never sell another trumpet."

By: Jan Cuijpers, the Limburger - While sitting in front of two cabinets full of trumpets, René Henkett (47) talks only about his passion for teaching. His elaborate trumpet collection - the reason for this story - only becomes the main subject when asked about it. Already in the living room he enthusiastically started talking about a new aid in teaching: a mouthpiece with a built-in small camera. Until now a trumpet teacher resorted to using a nozzle without a cup, or a transparent mouthpiece (approximate) to see what happens in the nozzle, but now the lip movements can be followed throughout the playing, being recorded and replayed in slow motion on the computer. That way you can very quickly identify and correct problems you have with the mouthpiece, according to the enthusiastic André Rieu trumpeter. The walls of his classroom and annex rehearsal hall in the long garden behind his duplex in Vaesrade are covered with posters about mouthpiece problems and how to solve them. "Teaching is one of my passions. Currently I have a few students, and some advanced trumpet players who come by once every so many weeks. But I am already thinking about the next time." That is why it is not strange that Henket goes and searches for local teaching methods in all the countries he visits. He opens a drawer filled with lesson materials and shows a method as an example from East Germany. " And in the attic I have cabinets full" according to the music school graduated trumpeter. "On tour I develop lesson materials. For instance how you can continue on playing with braces. Very often you see students drop out the moment they get braces. As far as I am concerned that is totally not necessary when you have adapted lesson materials which still challenges the student. And so I would like to develop a path for each individual student."

Another item he has many drawers full of are mouth pieces. For a very long time he had a phobia about mouth pieces Henket says. That led to his father, a very talented bench worker, changing mouthpieces from brand "A" to René's favorite brand "B". His quest to an ideal combination provided him with a huge collection. "My colleague Roger Diederen eventually helped me get over my mouth piece phobia. He could not understand me in that at all. "Just take a mouthpiece and start playing" he always told me. I have taken that over from him." In the rehearsal hall Henket's two passions flow perfectly together. Besides teaching there is his collection of dozens of trumpets. "Occupational hazard" he calls it. "Once I sold an American 'Bach Lightweight'. I felt very sorry about that, and decided never again to sell a trumpet. Indeed, he not only keeps the trumpets which he acquires to play on professionally in his possession, but he regularly buys a rare specimen. He reaches into the cabinet: "This is a 'Monke' a three generations old Cologne trumpet builder, serial number 29, built by founder Joseph Monke himself. Bought in a flea market in Belgium for 75 Euro's. For 1000 Euro's I had the instrument refurbished and currently I am offered large sums of money for it, primarily by German Orchestras." Another noteworthy instrument from his collection is a 'piccolo trumpet' which used to belonged to Maurice André. "Maurice André is the king of the trumpets as far as I am concerned. I basically have all his things. My first teacher, Pierre Wilhelmus was one of André's students. That is how I acquired the piccolo." Also of interest is a C-trumpet by Schille, of which only three were ever made. And then there is also a sort of cornet. Not with valves, but with holes.

With a small camera in the tip you can quickly detect problems in the mouthpiece

Laughingly he says: "Those are baroque trumpets. Five years ago I needed a new challenge. I have always had an interest in baroque trumpets. I found out that just across the border, in Herzogenrath, a baroque trumpet builder lived there: Marcus Lechter. And through him I again came in contact with Anna Freeman, who taught at the conservatorium in Cologne. She lives in Aachen and I take lessons from her, just for myself and not for professional gains - although playing the baroque trumpet does help me in my current trumpet playing." Dozens of trumpets line the cabinet. One, on the top shelve lies down, too big to stand up. "That is a base trumpet from Brno in the Czech Republic. A Fan-tas-tich instrument" according to the lyrical Henket. The non expert is unlikely to buy that instrument. In large letters 'LIDL' is reflected on the bell ...

 Thanks to John for this and it's Translation.