fanfare

Essentially, a fanfare means a short, loud piece of music played to introduce the arrival of someone important - or a special event. It consists of a flourish of trumpets, or other brass instruments.

Fanfare is a loud, proud burst of something to get attention. If you open up a carpet store with one of those sky-sweeping lights, lots of balloons, and a brass band, you're doing it with great fanfare. Originally fanfare meant a short burst of music played by trumpeters, usually when someone important entered a room.

Examples in opera include a fanfare for the governor's arrival in Beethoven's Fidelio, act 2. In the 20th century, well-known composed fanfares include Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man (1942), for brass and percussion, and Igor Stravinsky's Fanfare for a New Theatre (1964), for two trumpets.

fanfare, originally a brief musical formula played on trumpets, horns, or similar “natural” instruments, sometimes accompanied by percussion, for signal purposes in battles, hunts, and court ceremonies.

fanfare (n.) c. 1600, "a flourish sounded on a trumpet or bugle," from French fanfare "a sounding of trumpets" (16c.), from fanfarer "blow a fanfare" (16c.), perhaps echoic, or perhaps borrowed (with Spanish fanfarron "braggart," and Italian fanfano "babbler") from Arabic farfar "chatterer," of imitative origin.

Fanfares are used today as music at the start of television and radio news programs. Often they are used as victory marches in video games, particularly Role Playing Games. Fanfares are also seen at military parades and events.

Traditionally, fanfares are played by trumpets and brass instruments. Some of the first fanfares date back over 2000 years ago and were played on the shofar, an instrument made out of the horn of a ram. In 1241, a bugle played a fanfare to announce every hour in the Market Square of Krakow, Poland.

A FANFARE is music played by a group of brass instruments, especially trumpets, and sometimes also by percussion. It is used to make an announcement, such as the arrival of an important person.

Famous fanfares

• Trumpet fanfare for the Kentucky Derby horse race.
• Fanfare for the Common Man, Aaron Copland.
• Fanfare for a New Theatre, Igor Stravinsky.
• Fanfare for St Edmundsbury, Benjamin Britten.
• 20th Century Fox Fanfare, Alfred Newman.

A fanfare is a short, loud tune played on trumpets or other similar instruments to announce a special event. The ceremony opened with a fanfare of trumpets. 2. variable noun. If something happens with a fanfare, it happens or is announced with a lot of publicity.

Some of the first fanfares date back over 2000 years ago and were played on the shofar, an instrument made out of the horn of a ram. In 1241, a bugle played a fanfare to announce every hour in the Market Square of Krakow, Poland. Fanfares were used along with drums on the battlefield to signal troops.

In the 18th century France, the fanfare was a piece of music with energy and repeated notes. Modern fanfares come from the 19th century in Britain where they were written for important state events such as the crowning of a king or queen. Hubert Parry wrote a fanfare, "I Was Glad", for the coronation of Edward VII.