Hans Winterberg (1901-1991) composed his two trumpet suites at crucial turning points in his life - the first in December 1945 in Prague, just a few months after his liberation from the Theresienstadt ghetto, and the second in 1952 at the beginning of a promising new start as a composer in West Germany, to which he had emigrated in 1947. The first documented performance of the 1st Suite at the Amerika-Haus in Munich in 1950 was reportedly very successful, which likely encouraged the performer, trumpeter Willy Brem, to prompt Winterberg to compose the 2nd Suite. While the 1st Suite is still firmly rooted in Winterberg's Czech idiom, the 2nd Suite shows an influence from the musical language of contemporary music in Germany, particularly from Hindemith. Both suites present a kaleidoscope of moods and technical finesse within a compact space. Difficulty level: 4-5.