by Caiti Beth McKinney
Hello everyone!
This month, I would like to share an amazing work by musicologist and composer Edith Borroff. She wrote music for a wide variety of settings and ensembles, including chamber works for saxophone quartet, string quartet, and wind quintet, as well as larger scale works for orchestra and stage productions. The focus of this article, however, is her Sonata for Horn and Piano. Written in 1953, this piece is finally experiencing a well-deserved resurgence in popularity. The work is divided into four movements which represent different eras in music history including elements from Baroque, Medieval, Classical, and Romantic styles. No doubt her extensive knowledge of music history aided in the composition of the Sonata. The first movement, “Rhapsody,” is a lyrical, melodic ode to Romantic musical tastes, with upwards arpeggiated motion in the piano which keep the music flowing. The drama of the first movement is in sharp contrast to the second—a quick scherzo that recalls the hunting horn calls of Classical horn writing. The third movement is inspired by the Baroque sarabande, a slow dance form used by many composers in the 18th century, such as we find in the famous cello suites of Johann Sebastian Bach. The fourth movement is also in the style of a musical dance, this time the Medieval estampie, which carries energy through its lilting 6/8 meter. I particularly enjoy that this movement begins with solo horn, allowing the player a chance to really shine before the piano joins in after the first statement. All in all, Edith Borroff’s Sonata is an enjoyable and approachable work suitable for any recital. Give it a listen!
