This is something that is probably played more frequently now than it was when I first came across it. I’m pretty sure that the first time that I ever heard it was when I played it. It is a challenge to play – especially for the 1st horn.
Classical
The Natural Horn
Following on from the demonstration of the natural horn in yesterday’s link here is the Weber Concertino played on a natural horn. Another solo that I (along with most aspiring horn players) learned to play once upon a time.
One Of The Greatest
It wasn’t my original plan, but when I saw that today would have been Dennis Brain’s 99th birthday it seemed as though I ought to have him playing something.
An Old Favourite
The last of this week’s “symphonies I have played with good horn parts” is a much less well known one – that of Cesar Franck. This was something that was in the “Music of the World’s Great Composers” collection that I have previously mentioned was very much part of my learning of orchestral music.
Lovely Sound
A quite different set of challenges from yesterday’s Mahler – and only two horns this time. However from the “no room for error” opening bars and thoughout this long symphony there is plenty to keep the horn players on their toes.
My First Symphony
(No not one that I composed 😂) A few weeks ago I “featured” the horn solo from the 2nd movement of Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony. That was the second symphony that I had played – my first ever symphony was Dvorak’s 8th. Less well known than the “New World Symphony” I have played it more often.
Flying Sticks
Its time that my “funny moments” anecdotes included something from the percussion section. I have certainly had my fair share of flying stick moments and an assortment of other mishaps. I suspect that there are a couple of songsters at Cardiff who are still having nightmares about the close thing they had with the bouncing bomb that was my double headed bass drum mallet 😲😂
No Air Getting Through
It was a youth meeting at Clydebank SA and I was to play a couple of solos. The first one was announced and I stood up – my accompanist (I can’t remember who it was) played me an A and I blew into my horn to check the tuning.
Back To Back Beethoven
When I posted about Hugh Seenan and the London Horn Sound the other day I went searching for him on the www and found a picture of the LSO horn section ‘modelling’ Paxman horns. Next to him in the picture was another horn player that I played alongside frequently – mainly in the Glasgow University Orchestra and the Scottish Universities Orchestra.
Another Moment Of Calm
OK – so I appreciate that this is stretching it a bit to claim that today’s choice is continuing my “types of group I have performed in” – but I have been assured that I had some piano lessons when I was young – I have no memory of them 🙂 – my piano playing is best described as ‘limited’ and almost exclusively for my own pleasure.