IHS 56 Slideshow and Video
by John McGuire
As host of IHS 56, I want to take a few moments to introduce myself and let you know a little bit about Colorado State University, our facilities, and the city of Fort Collins, Colorado.
I am in my 12th year here at CSU. When I was younger, I often imagined what my ideal place of employment and residence would be. After over a decade here in Fort Collins, I can tell you that this has checked almost every box for me: a great university, wonderful colleagues, terrific students with whom I get to work daily, and an awe-inspiring location just minutes away from some of the grandest natural wonders on the planet!
Our facility here at CSU, the University Center for the Arts, was originally built about a century ago as the Fort Collins High School. After the city built a new high school in the 1990s, the old building sat abandoned for many years. Fortunately, CSU had the wonderful foresight to purchase it, renovate it, and turn it into a world-class performing arts facility! Once you step onto campus, perform in our halls, and experience all that the International Horn Symposium has to offer, I think you will agree!
In the coming months, I will share many details about the 56th International Horn Symposium. Stay tuned because we have some incredibly exciting announcements coming soon! In the meantime, please take a look at a slideshow and video that I have put together to give you some introductory information on what CSU has to offer for 2024! Thank you!
Student Column—Deciding Where to Audition for College
by Inman Hebert
On the surface, the process of choosing where to study music may seem quite simple: find institutions of interest, apply, and audition. However, the process of narrowing your list may require a careful appraisal of different universities, colleges, and conservatories. For prospective students who do not already have a clear idea, start with your current horn teacher or other trusted advisors. These mentors know you as a student and can guide your decision. They also understand both the music school’s quality and atmosphere of learning.
Consider factors, such as campus life and the size of the student body and of the music program. Determine if you have an interest in the college experience that extends beyond music or whether you seek a conservatory: what is your preferred environment? Each institution provides a great deal of information about its program on its website. Use these resources to learn about the curriculum, professors, concerts, current and past students, and the application process.
In narrowing your list of schools, consider location and proximity to home. Do you prefer an urban or rural setting? Will there be more opportunities in certain locations? Then consider your financial means for traveling for auditions. While virtual auditions may sometimes be possible, read websites as scholarships may only be offered for in-person auditions.
For many of us, we must examine cost. From a financial perspective, look at the merit-based and need-based financial aid the school offers. If the scholarship numbers cannot place a school in your price range, then weigh the option and cost of student loans, or potentially strike the school from your list. Ask yourself whether a school is ultimately worth the cost of auditioning.
Reach out to professors for trial lessons. Lessons will aid in your understanding of teaching styles and will provide the opportunity to ask any questions about the school. The horn professor and studio will be your primary influence and key to your development in studying music. Also investigate the audition repertoire. Ideally, the institutions you choose will not have wildly divergent requirements. Some overlap between your school choices will help you focus your audition preparation.
In conducting your final review, include at least one school with a high chance of acceptance. While you may need to submit preliminary audition material, in-person auditions are typically held in January and February, so aim for 3 to 7 institutions. By carefully crafting your list, you can maximize your chances for successful auditions; however, do not stress as, ultimately, your college experience will depend on what you make of your opportunities once there.
Composer Spotlight—Roque Cordero
by Caiti Beth McKinney
Hello everyone! This month we’re taking a sharp turn away from the late-Romantic tonality of Ethel Smyth to the ground-breaking work of Roque Cordero. Perhaps the only well-known Panamanian composer to this day, Cordero got his start writing music for wind ensembles at the age of fifteen. Incredibly, at the age of twenty-one, Cordero also founded the National Orchestra of Panama, for the establishment of which he wrote his first orchestral work. His works range from tonal pieces from his younger years to far more avant-garde sounds, embracing rhythms and phrasing styles from Panamanian folk music while blending them with Modernist techniques.
For the horn, Cordero composed two chamber works: Music for Five Brass, a brass quintet, (available here), and Variations and Theme for Five, a woodwind quintet (available here). Both are incredibly challenging works, requiring great rhythmic dexterity and independence of line. Not for the faint of heart, Cordero’s woodwind quintet would make a great competition piece. The group that can give a convincing performance must be absolutely in sync, and furthermore must be highly conscious of texture and color. Challenge accepted, anyone?
Chamber Music Corner—Robert Kahn’s Serenade in F Minor, Op. 73
by Layne Anspach
Hello everyone!
Robert Kahn’s Serenade in F Minor, Op. 73 is the focus of this month’s Chamber Music Corner. Kahn was a German composer and teacher born in Mannheim in 1865. Kahn received his musical training at the Berlin Musikhochschule (1882-85) and the Munich Akademie der Tonkunst (1885-86). From 1894 to 1930, he taught piano and music theory at the Berlin Musikhochschule. Due to his Jewish heritage, Kahn was forced to retire from his position by the Nazis in the 1930s. He left Germany for England in 1937 where he resided till his death in 1951.
The historical suggestion is that the Serenade in F Minor, Op. 73 was first submitted to Kahn’s publisher Simrock as a trio for oboe, horn, and piano. Simrock did not believe he could sell many copies with this instrumentation, so he suggested that Kahn write it for the traditional piano trio (violin, cello, and piano). Kahn delivered parts for eight instruments that could be mixed and matched. Regardless of whether the story is accurate, the following parts were composed—Part A: oboe, clarinet, violin, or viola; and Part B: horn, viola, or cello. While there is a viola part for Part A, it seems to be quite uncommon in the possible configurations, thus reducing the number of ensemble options from twelve to nine.
Comprised of a single movement which lasts roughly eleven minutes, the piece has two main themes, each of which is interrupted by a faster section. Andante sostenuto (the first main theme) opens with the horn sustaining a single pitch while the piano rolls chords in two beat pairings. The oboe enters with the melody in m. 5, which is characterized by a hemiola at the beginning, after which the melody is passed around. This section is interrupted by a fiery Vivace propelled by running sixteenths in the right hand of the piano. The winds are seemingly in conflict with the piano as Kahn writes polyrhythms: triplet eighths in the winds and sixteenth notes in the piano. The winds “win” in the polyrhythmic conflict as the piano adopts the triplet eighth figures in the transition back into the Tempo I (Andante sostenuto).
The oboe introduces the new melody in the second main theme at Allegretto non troppo e grazioso. This features mordents and grace notes sprinkled throughout. The second interjection, Piu mosso, begins with an octave leap by both winds. The melody features a similar hemiola as the Andante sostenuto, but with different melodic content. After the piano restates the motif of the Allegretto, the final section is altered by changes of tempi. A molto rallentando sets up a seven measure Vivace coda bringing the piece to a brilliant conclusion which incorporates both the hemiola and mordents from the Andante sostenuto and Allegretto, respectively.
The reference recording features David Guerrier on horn. Additionally, Erik Ralske can be heard on a live recording with the clarinet, horn, and piano instrumentation; and Howard Wall is the hornist on the album Horn Trios by Brahms, Kahn, Koechlin & Dubois with the violin, horn, and piano instrumentation.
Chamber Music Corner—Spohr Quintet in C minor
by Layne Anspach
Hello everyone!
Chamber Music Corner is a new column that will explore chamber works which include horn. This month’s highlighted piece is Louis Spohr’s Quintet in C Minor, Op. 52 for piano, flute, clarinet, horn, and bassoon. While the most famous piano-and-wind quintets exchange the flute for an oboe (i.e., Mozart, K. 452 and Beethoven, Op. 16), there is a handful of wonderful pieces using Spohr’s instrumentation to examine in the future.
Louis Spohr was a German composer, violinist, and conductor born in Brunswick in 1784. He was an extraordinary violinist who wrote chamber compositions focused mostly on string works featuring himself. From 1799 through 1821, Spohr moved from one conducting/concertmaster position to another, all while touring Europe as a soloist. After 1821, he remained in Kassel as Kapellmeister until 1857, passing away two years later after a brief illness.
In 1820, Spohr was engaged by the London Philharmonic Society for the year. While in London, the health of his first wife, Dorette Scheidler, an accomplished harpist, started to decline to the point that she was unable to perform on harp. Considering this, Spohr wrote the Quintet in C Minor, Op. 52 as a piece for which she would play the piano part. The work features the piano heavily, almost to the extent of a piano concerto with wind accompaniment.
The first movement, Allegro moderato, establishes a lively gesture between winds and piano in sonata form. The second movement starts to feature the piano as soloist; Larghetto con moto begins with a slow introduction in the winds led by the clarinet. The piano follows alone, after which the winds join in the harmony. The B section is led by a piano melody with wind accompaniment as an underlying triplet pulse. Spohr composed gorgeous melodic interjections by the winds with the piano accompanying. The movement ends with a repetition of the A section to close out the ternary form.
The Menuetto: Allegretto opens with a downward-falling horn solo which hands off the melody to the piano. The minuet is melodically shared between winds and piano, passing back and forth in turn. The trio is a fantastic feature for the piano, Spohr presumably featuring his wife’s playing. The movement repeats the minuet and trio followed by a short coda. Finale: Allegro molto is an incessant drive of sixteenth-note energy from the piano. Presented by the piano, the B theme of this movement is, in my opinion, the most beautiful theme in the entire work. A horn melody responds to the piano with the other wind parts following in response. In the development, the piano continues at a blistering pace as the winds have elongated melodies. The movement ends with a typical recap representative of sonata form. The horn leads a three-note motif with the other winds responding during the transition to the coda. The movement ends with the music building in intensity and activity until the final chords.
The recording links are from Les Vents Français’ album Romantique; Radovan Vlatković is the hornist on the album.
The 7 Elements Daily Routine
by Christoph Ess
During the covid pandemic, I started to write down my daily warm-up routine and created a book with many exercises and explanations. I was able to release this book last year, together with play-along videos on my YouTube channel. It features a large number of exercises I have developed for my personal needs, including exercises from my own teachers and professors as well as exercises from masterclasses and workshops through which I have been inspired by other players. These exercises are helping me every day to deal with the different challenges of playing the horn, to remain fit, and to improve myself by their regular use.
I have developed a warm-up and practice system which I am able to adapt and change depending on my daily mood and how much time I have for practicing. The system is divided into seven sections which cover the most important parameters of playing the horn. To me, it is very important to deal with all seven of these issues every day because that enables me to be completely and fully warmed up, even if I have just a little time to practice, to proceed with a rehearsal, a concert, or just another practice session. That is why every section has exercises which I can vary and select according to my situation.
Usually, I try not to start with extreme registers and dynamics. First of all, the muscles have to be warmed up and relaxed, comparable with our athletic activities. Only then can we expand our exercises downwards and especially upwards as well as advance to extreme dynamics.
Another basic principle of my system is to always combine two different parameters into one exercise, such as slow - fast, tongued - slurred, forte - piano in immediate succession so that our lips and the airflow can prepare for the different challenges.
1. Doodle exercises
I start my daily warm-up with some doodle exercises. It's literally about warming up the lips and circulating the blood as well as the activation of the breathing system. DON'T play these exercises in extreme registers but in a relaxed middle range and comfortable dynamics.
2. Air flow
After the doodle exercises, I typically continue with breathing exercises. Airflow is one of the most important aspects of playing the horn. In particular, it's about streaming the air evenly and homogeneously from the first to the last note of a phrase and building a vibrating air column, especially during the transition from one note to another. I always start with the long F horn fingerings (F123 or F13) as the airflow is automatically higher within the long F horn while the air pressure is lower. That helps a lot when we change to the shorter B-flat horn. These exercises should be played with a metronome to control steady air flow. It is useful to play two versions in direct succession: a slow one followed by a fast one, or slurred followed by tongued, for example, in order to phrase steadily during changing tempos and articulations.
3. Sound
The sound forms the emotional basis and heart of one’s performance. It's important to create an even, centered, and straight sound which doesn't shake, and which doesn't lose quality also during a crescendo or decrescendo. It is thus essential to practice making homogeneous dynamic changes during long notes. It's very helpful to use an electronic tuner here to help control intonation and to respond to small changes.
4. Natural horn and flexibility
While playing our modern valve horn, we are constantly "switching" between the many imaginary natural horns and their respective overtone series, but our embouchures (which are responsible for the modifications of muscle tension) and our air speed remain the determining factors for the connection between two overtones. Thus, flexibility is one of the parameters we should exercise daily. I usually start with a small ambitus (melodic range) first and then expand it continuously. During these exercises, I also advance into more extreme registers. All of these natural harmonics exercises are airflow exercises at the same time. Lead the air from the first to the last note and pay attention not to have air “bumps” in your phrase and especially during the transition between tongued and slurred notes.
5. Scales
We have to play scales in almost every piece we play, in most of our etudes and in many excerpts. Scales have to be included in one part of the daily practice in all different keys and variants, major and minor, slow and fast. This section offers many versions of scale exercises.
6. Stability
A steady sound with a good center is essential but also one of the most difficult aspects of playing the horn. We create a warm and resonant sound by playing it rich in overtones. This can be done through playing with a solid center. This is essential for the homogeneity in an orchestral horn group or for chamber music with other musicians as well. These are the most important parameters: to find a stable intonation and an optimal sound balance. We need to make sure that all notes have a good accentuated start. Don't think of a sotto di voce; rather, think of playing chimes. The center should be hit right after the impulse and not after a few milliseconds. The note should have a good, tongued start, but what is even more important is to push the air stream directly afterwards. Each note must be phrased and have an undefined ending on the consonant 'm'. This helps a lot to connect to the next note without a bump. It would make sense to use an electronic tuner here as well.
7. Power
We are progressively developing lip and embouchure strength. We start gently and increase slowly from week to week, not from day to day. When you start practicing again after three weeks off, you will have the impression of quickly being tired and exhausted. Indeed, it often helps to do the daily basics disciplined, without pushing forward into extreme registers. This will make your performance flexible and if you had a good embouchure before it will return soon. Basically, all of the stability exercises from chapter six are also power exercises if you play them into the upper registers.
Watch my warm-up program video masterclass with explanations and sound examples as well as some additional chapters on my YouTube Channel.
Composer Spotlight—Ethel Smyth
by Caiti Beth McKinney
Hello, horn friends!
This month, I’m shining the spotlight on Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944), a British composer and leading figure in the women’s suffragette movement in the United Kingdom. An outspoken woman, Smyth had to fight from the very beginning for her right to compose, since even her own father actively tried to discourage her from pursuing music. She also had to deal with institutional discrimination: when Smyth’s opera, Der Wald, was premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1903, the New York Times dismissed her work as “a disappointing novelty…of vaulting ambitions,” despite its incredible popularity with audiences. (Der Wald was, by the way, the only opera composed by a woman to be performed by the Met until 2016.)
Overcoming these struggles, Smyth released an incredible output of music, including a double concerto for horn, violin, and orchestra. This three-movement work is a joy to listen to, combining beautiful, lyrical lines with quick technical passages. It is difficult not to draw a comparison with the more famous Brahms Trio, especially when one performs the piano reduction of Smyth’s concerto, but Smyth’s work is absolutely on par with the former and deserves more frequent performances.
