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!
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—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—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.
Horn on Record
by Ian Zook
Volume 9—Ferenc Tarjáni
We’re returning to Hungary for this month’s album, unearthing a piece lost to time by composer Endre Székely and performed by the fabulous virtuoso hornist Ferenc Tarjáni. The Concerto in Memoriam Anton Webern was commissioned by Tarjáni in 1973 and recorded for the Hungaroton label in 1976.
Composer Endre Székely studied with Zoltán Kodály in Budapest and was well-regarded for his work with and compositions for choirs, although he did also compose three wind quintets in the early 1960’s. This concerto is based on a quotation of Anton Webern’s music, which grew from pedagogical analysis Székely made while teaching. (A more detailed description of the music and the form of the piece is printed on the reverse side of the album jacket.)
Hornist Ferenc Tarjáni (1938-2017) was born in Dorog, Hungary and came to the horn after a broken wrist derailed his violin studies at the Béla Bartók School of Music. From 1958 onward, he was the first hornist of the Hungarian Radio Orchestra, and between 1962-1966, he was a prize winner at the international competitions in Geneva, Munich, and Budapest. From 1975 until his retirement, he taught at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and has many recordings of solo and chamber music to his credit. He was a founding member of the Budapest Chamber Ensemble and the Tarján Horn Quartet, and a member of the Hungarian Wind Quintet. His musical prominence has been acknowledged by the Franz Liszt Prize in 1965 and 1967, and the Bartók-Pászthory Prize in 2002.
This concerto is certainly demanding for the soloist, as several cadenza passages explore the wide range of techniques possible on the horn. This example, bookending low bass grumbles, leads to a climatic horn call accompanied by chattering woodwinds:
A later section uses the horn as a musical conduit, tying together fragmented choruses of woodwinds, brass, and then strings:
Another long cadenza displays Tarjáni’s incredible range and dexterity as the sustained pedal tones are contrasted by increasing exclamatory interjections into the high range, leading to a soaring high E♭:
While this concerto may challenge the listener through its striking tonality and challenging formal construction, it does have moments of repose and beauty. Tarjáni plays with warmth and woodwind-like clarity as the piece concludes:
If you enjoy contemporary horn solos, find yourself a recording on vinyl of this concerto! Since few of these pieces enter the standard repertoire, it is so important that artists like Tarjáni continue to push the boundaries of our instrument and how it can be used in every sonic landscape. Thanks, as always, for reading Horn on Record!
The Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse
by Gerry Wood
We need to have a serious talk about the Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse!
Over 25 years of musical mischief, the Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse have stormed the world of horn quartets with their cheeky humor, entertaining performances, educational escapades, and original repertoire. They're like the mischievous jesters of the horn world, trying to spread laughter and harmonious chaos wherever they go.
They started as a student group at the University of Southern Mississippi (and not even the best quartet there) in the late 1900s under the inspired direction of the amazing Denny Behm (God rest his soul). Motivated to prepare for competitions, they crammed into a Pontiac 6000 like a bunch of horn-brandishing clowns and started touring. They imposed on innocent high-school and middle-school kids the questionable humor of the unfortunate souls caught in Gerry's orbit of forced camaraderie. The original syndicate of wrongdoers consisted of Stuart De Haro (Famine), Tony Licata (War), Molly Wood (Pestilence), and Gerry Wood (Death). It's rumored that they even added these apocalyptic equine monikers to the backs of black shirts they received after filling out credit card applications at the local mall.
As the millennium turned over, they descended upon the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, where they embarked on a perilous journey of horn enlightenment under the watchful eye of the diabolical and slightly mad horn genius Kazimierz Machala. Their musical madness evolved and developed as they shared a quirky horn-infested farmhouse nestled in the corn fields outside of Champaign. In 2003, Stuart bid farewell to the Four Hornsmen as his aspirations of horn-making greatness took center stage. Now, he orchestrates his heavy metal revolution as the Machinist Foreman at the University of Illinois. Audrey Good took over the last chair duties in his stead with unmatched sarcasm, sardonic wit, and a "Charlie Putnamesqe" mastery of the low register. (In a twist of fate that could only happen in the bizarre world of horn players, Gerry had actually coached a prodigious young Audrey at the Illinois Summer Youth Music Camp when she was only 17). Although she never fulfilled her dream of challenging her way off of fourth horn in the Hornsmen, she improved enough at some point to score the second horn position of the Toronto Symphony horn section.
In 2004, The Four Hornsmen, ever the cunning infiltrators, orchestrated their first of many organized indoctrination operations, flamboyantly labeled the Bluebonnet HornFest. The brainchild of Molly, this devious plan involved enlisting guest artists such as the legendary Ethel Merker, the fripperish "Spike" and Ellen Shaw, the fearless Jeff Nelsen, and the Juanjo "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" Pastor to perform and bestow the gift of hornology alongside the Hornsmen. Young horn players fell under their spell, never to look at their instruments the same way again.
Life's comic opera took an unexpected twist in 2006 when Molly, the multitasking maestra and caretaker of Gerry's and her progeny, yearned for a well-deserved, peaceful intermission. The trials of touring, graduate assisting, and managing the wild antics of tiny horn aficionados had taken their toll. While the spotlight may not grace her presence, she's the secret mastermind behind the scenes and a ninja of composition and arrangement. She's like the invisible force that keeps the Four Hornsmen on track, ensuring that their musical escapades are as harmoniously chaotic as ever. And just like that, Paul Blackstone swooped in, Paxman 23 in hand, ready to fill the void with his unique blend of musical mischief, dry humor, and beard oil.
At this point, things went from zero to horn-frenzy in no time! The Four Hornsmen soared to new heights, rocking the socks off horn enthusiasts at the 2008 and 2013 IHS Symposiums, touring twice a year and unleashing their musical magic on the world with their album "Intuitions" (seriously, it's a mind-altering experience, available on Spotify and Apple Music for all your auditory pleasure. Play it on repeat until you're tired of it, then turn the volume down and let it play while you sleep). And to satisfy their insatiable wanderlust, they embarked on a whirlwind European adventure in 2015, conquering new territories and leaving a trail of laughter and horn-induced euphoria in their wake.
After conquering Europe like a horn-wielding Joey Tribbiani, Tony made a strategic decision to switch gears and focus on his prowess as a military maestro in the Army band. With his horn skills and military precision, he embarked on a new mission, leaving a vacancy that could only be filled by the one-and-only Brian Brown, a musical virtuoso capable of hitting high notes and delivering punchlines with unparalleled finesse. His arrival was serendipitous as the following year, these melodic misfits brought their unique brand of horn-infused chaos to the land of K-pop and kimchi at the prestigious Busan Maru Music Festival.
After circling the globe like astronauts rocking spaghetti dispensers of sound, they landed back on Earth with a mission to ignite the passions of young horn players through the Honors Horn Camp that they had begun in 2015. Armed with their horns and an arsenal of eye-rolling horn puns, they aimed to blow the minds of budding musicians and show them the wild and wacky wonders of the horn nerdom, camaraderie, and FUNdamentals. The camp was on a roll until 2020 when COVID crept in like a sneaky sax player and forced them to hit the mute button, but not before Jacquelyn Adams joined them on their last tour and brought her horn expertise to their online horn camp, adding an extra sprinkle of musical mischief and laughter.
The Hornsmen have donned their musical capes and transformed the realm of horn quartets into a fantastical funhouse. Their mission is crystal clear: entertain, educate, and inject the repertoire with new and original works with a side order of playful "wink, wink, nudge, nudge" moments and clever quips. The Hornsmen's unique brand of humor is accompanied by an unwavering commitment to delivering top-notch musicality. Their funny antics come with a disclaimer: they must be paired with exquisite playing. Watching a Four Hornsmen show is like witnessing Jimmy Fallon break character on Saturday Night Live–-unpredictable, hilarious, and guaranteed to leave you in stitches. It's baffling that this thing has been allowed to continue completely unchecked. Think of the number of future "Horn Nerds'' they've created in their wake!
The current members of the Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse are:
Paul Blackstone, Freelancer in Austin, Texas
Brian Brown, Freelancer in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
Audrey Good, Second Horn, Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Gerry Wood, Principal Horn, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Meet the People—IHS Membership Coordinator
by Elaine Braun, with Clare Gibson
My journey with the horn began in my second year at the University at Buffalo. Initially pursuing a piano major and voice minor, I later switched to the harp as a minor and eventually made the horn my major, studying under the guidance of Lowell Shaw. Throughout my musical pursuits, I never let go of my passion for singing, actively participating in choruses, and taking on leading roles in musical productions. After completing my studies in music education, I embarked on a career teaching both vocal and instrumental music in local schools.
It was in 1972 that I had my first encounter with the International Horn Society at the Indiana Symposium, and I was hooked! Witnessing the exceptional talent of the best players and engaging in conversations with them made a profound impact on me. The following year, I began teaching at Western University in Ontario. There, I instructed private students, taught an education course for non-players (which taught me valuable lessons about introducing beginners to the horn), and led the horn ensemble, performing music that Lowell Shaw had graciously shared with me. It was during my time at the Avignon Symposium that I became the Representative for Canada to the IHS. A few years later, I was honored to be elected to the Advisory Council where I served as Secretary/Treasurer for several years.
During this period, I also had the opportunity to be an exhibitor at the Hornists' Nest table, either alongside Mr. Shaw or independently. It was a delightful experience as it provided me with the chance to meet horn players from all corners of the world, many of whom were eager to acquire Fripperies. In 1999, I began working at the Buffalo Philharmonic where I held various positions, and after three years of working in the library and serving as a copyist for Doc Severinsen, I moved again to the United States, accepting the position of General Manager of the Maryland Symphony in Hagerstown, Maryland. During my tenure there, I organized a Horn Weekend which included a memorable trip to Walter Lawson's horn-building shop in Boonesboro and performing a prelude to the symphony concert that weekend.
Following my time in Maryland, I moved to Erie, Pennsylvania, assuming the same position with the Erie Philharmonic while also directing the Erie Philharmonic Chorus. Eventually, the time came for retirement, and I decided to settle in Nashville to be a helpful grandmother.
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Nashville Horn Hang
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In 2016, I was re-elected to the Advisory Council, but an exciting opportunity arose when the new position of Membership Coordinator was created. Without hesitation, I applied, and in November 2017, I received a call from Jeff Snedeker offering me the position which I began in 2018. In 2019, I was honored to receive the IHS Medal of Honor Service Award which I cherish. Presently, I engage in various musical endeavors, playing in the Nashville Community Concert Band, singing in the Vanderbilt Community Chorus, and conducting the Nashville Horn Hang. I am proud to have been a member of the International Horn Society since 1972 and eagerly anticipate attending my 45th Symposium in Montréal.
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Nashville Community Concert Band horn section
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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.
