Horns – Feeding my Ignorance

Right First Time

George McConnell — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 23:52:45 +0000

As horn solos go – they don’t come much more immediate and exposed than this…

Carl Maria von Weber : Oberon Overture

Yet More Horns

George McConnell — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 19:10:32 +0000

During the time that I have been sharing these bits of music I have offered a number of recordings of groups of horns playing in a variety of styles. I think that this is different from all the previous shares – hope you like it.

It is another example of the versatility of the horn sound in the hands (or on the lips) of good players.

Guild of Hornplayers : Daydream

A Wagner Appetiser

George McConnell — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:42:26 +0000

A small taster of Wagner – not the whole Ring Cycle – just the prelude to Das Rheingold – the first of the four operas.

Richard Wagner : Das Rheingold – Prelude to Act 1

Flight of the Bumblehorn

George McConnell — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 21:31:55 +0000

Something easier to listen to today – and it is a few days since we had a horn player.

Frank Lloyd probably doesn’t remember me – I expect that is something he has in common with a lot of others – he came to be principal horn of the Scottish National Orchestra a couple of years before I left Glasgow and headed south.

This piece of music is unashamedly a “show-off” piece – however, in order to show-off you need to have mastered it and I think you will agree that this is the case here.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov : The Tale of Tsar Sultan – Flight of the Bumblebee

Comments :

John Sampson

Brilliant

An Unusual Horn Choir

George McConnell — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 23:51:09 +0000

Every now and again I like to share something a bit unusual – here is this week’s treat!

Arkady Shilkloper & The Horn Orchestra of Russia : Crested Butte Mountain

Back to Bach

George McConnell — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 20:41:16 +0000

I’m staying with that old Reader’s Digest collection today. The first disc included the Brandenburg Concerto No.1 and it is interesting to think that, assuming I started with Disc 1, this may have been the first piece of classical music I had listened to.

I am thinking that is probably unlikely though…..

Of the Brandenburg Concerti this has to be my favourite thanks to the great horn part – it requires skills very different to the strength and stamina that you need for the likes of Wagner and Mahler and I used to thoroughly enjoy this style of playing.

It also has to be said that it is a bit easier to perform on a modern valved horn rather than the natural horn it was written for – and which is used in this recording. One fun technique is trying to cope with this part without the help of your valves…

Johann Sebastian Bach : Brandenburg Concerto No.1

Comments :

Stuart Bulmer

I recall that I did the Brandenburg No3 for either O level or A level, I can’t remember which, but I certainly remember the music which is not too dissimilar to No1.

George R McConnell

I’m no expert – and did not study them at any time – but I think that stylistically there is little difference. The differences are in the instrumentation. No.1 is (I think) the only one with a horn part.

Karen Whittingham

Stuart Bulmer i did one of them for for a level x

Another Take on the Same Theme

George McConnell — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 19:31:38 +0000

Yesterday’s choice was (as I am sure many of you already knew!) on a composition of Paganini – a piece of music that seems to have inspired more arrangements and transcriptions than just about anything else I know.

So – today – here is another version – this time featuring the French Horn – Jeff Nelsen and the other members of Canadian Brass play Caprice No.24 – and a virtuosic piece of horn playing it is too!

Niccolò Paganini : Caprice No.24

A Famous Ballet

George McConnell — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 20:03:15 +0000

Those of you who have followed this series of posts will no doubt have noticed a slight bias towards orchestral music with good horn parts from time to time – today’s ‘big piece’ is another example of that.

I know that my Monday posts have been “full works” – but today I have gone slightly away from that as the “full work” is around two and a half hours in length!! This is a suite of ten of the dances from Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet” – and it doesn’t take long for the horn section to weigh in!

The featured parts are :

1. Montagues & Capulets 0:00
2. Juliet The Young Girl 5:17
3. Madrigal 9:34
4. Minuet 13:07
5. Masks 16:06
6. Romeo & Juliet 18:10
7. Death of Tybalt 25:56
8. Friar Laurence 30:30
9. Romeo & Juliet : Before Parting 33:27
10. Romeo at Juliet’s Tomb 42:12

Sergei Prokofiev : Romeo and Juliet Suite

Show Me The TV Programme

This was used as the theme for “The Apprentice”

An Opportunity to Boogie

George McConnell — Sat, 09 Jan 2021 12:59:25 +0000

Something light from the London Horn Sound today – its been a while since they last featured in my posts!!

London Horn Sound : Tico Tico

Comments :

Steve Thomas

well done George, I had a little Eric & Ernie style Samba around the kitchen

George R McConnell

Not sure I want that image in my head

A Simple Song

George McConnell — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 09:03:37 +0000

Leonard Bernstein has featured a few times – as conductor and composer – and this is another share of his music – this time it is not from West Side Story but from his Mass. Arranged for Brass Quintet this version is from one of my favourite CDs from the many that the Canadian Brass have produced – I know I have shared at least one track from this before.