We are not actually stuck there, but there is a ton to cover and, due to a quirk of the semester schedule at ASU when I first laid out this class we had an extra Tuesday I had not planned for. That extra week has held up since then, which is good news if you are a fan of horn history and rep, as there is certainly more to cover in the nineteenth century.
What about Franz Strauss?
A figure we owe a lot to in terms of horn rep is Franz Strauss (1822–1905). Besides being a leading horn player of his generation, he composed several works that are part of our standard rep (I recorded a CD of his works!) and was the father of Richard Strauss. Especially if you are following this course completely online, I’d encourage a closer look at this PDF timeline:
and these five articles of special interest:
- A student remembers Franz Strauss
- The Horn of Franz Strauss
- A look at the Theme and Variations, Op. 13 of Franz Strauss
- A look at the Fantasie, Op. 2 of Franz Strauss
- From the Mailbag: Why so many breath marks in Strauss 1?
A very important excerpt
I don’t think too many would argue against Till being a really important excerpt. But how to play it correctly? It’s worth listening to a few different versions, but Farkas had it correct I think:
The Villanelle topic
As time allows this class session inevitably edges into looking at some early 20th century works that fit closely with our discussion, including in particular the Dukas Villanelle. With respect to that work there are two more short readings to scan before the class discussion.
And if you are following the course online only, I’d very much highlight the video in this article:
Even more you could skim over
Yet another article to read or at least skim over (sorry! I really am into the topic) is this recent article on the use of the single F horn (and Bb horn) in the late nineteenth century, and the series that follows, relating to recording my recent Rescued! CD. And for a more focused view of an interesting composer featured on this CD, see the following article:
Continue in Horn Repertoire Course
This is a bonus week in a fourteen week course in horn repertoire, the second semester of a broad overview of horn repertoire, performance, and pedagogy. The introductory article is here, and the series is presented for the educational purposes of our readers.
