Newsletter - IHS Online

by Frederik Rostrup

Listen to the music while you read! This link will take you to the available sources in your part of the world.

lasse mauritzen

Horn recording is different from recording most other sound sources because the horn is an ambient instrument. That means that the sound of the horn is inherently bound to the surroundings in which it is played. Most horn players have had the experience of sound technicians placing microphones pointing into the bell, resulting in turning the horn into a trombone, in which case they should have hired trombone players instead. Generally speaking, the horn needs a minimum of one reflection before the microphone picks it up to yield that horn sound. This means that the horn should be miked from a position in front of the horn player. Urban legend has it that Hermann Baumann preached this gospel. Can any of you readers confirm that?

In the winter of 2021, the pandemic lockdown gave us time we would otherwise never have found to do this project. We recorded for 10 consecutive days. We were fortunate to have friends and sponsors lending us a church, a concert grand and good microphones. We had a grand design, but out of necessity we scaled it down. It turns out this it helped us a lot.

The venue

The Lutheran church in Vangede, north of Copenhagen, was designed and built as a venue for acoustic music in the seventies. It has a reverberation time around 3 seconds in the midrange, rising to almost 4 seconds in the low range.

Tech talk

We used the principle of a main microphone (as opposed to polymicrophony). The main microphone system was a quasi ORTF some four meters from the piano with the horn player in stereo center facing the pianist. We moved it around and ended as the photos show. In addition we spot-miked the horn from the front with two rather unusual microphones: One figure-8 microphone side-rejecting the piano sound from above the horn and a vacuum tube large diaphragm cardioid from beneath the horn. We ended up loving the tube the most.

Recording chain

Microphones from Microtech Gefell, Germany. Read the fascinating company story here: https://www.microtechgefell.de/unternehmen/history.

Main microphone system: 2xM930 in quasi-ORTF

recording equipment Spot mikes:

CMV563/M7S vintage vacuum tube cardioid large diaphragm
UMT70S in figure of eight position

Microphone preamplifier and analog to digital converter:

RME fireface 800. Clock frequency 44.1 kHz. Bitrate: 24 bit

Digital audio workstation: Logic X on Macbook Air 2019- (storage on external harddrives over USB)

Small speakers: Genelec 8010

Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT990

Effects: no effects, filters, delays, compression or artificial reverbs are used at all. The reverb you hear is the church itself. (The church was designed to sound good by skilled acousticians).

Loudness: Without much ado, the programme complies with the current industry standard.

Editing

Although we aimed for recording the pieces in their entirety, we ended up editing the best snippets together. Like other technical advances, it seems to lie in human nature to utilize them when available, even when unethical.. We even considered overdubbing -only laziness prevented us from doing so.

The players

Lasse Mauritzen joined the Danish National Symphony Orchestra as Principal/ Solo Horn in 2006, where he still plays today. Lasse has been a soloist with this orchestra several times, including a memorable performance of Richard Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1 in December 2017, conducted by principal conductor Fabio Luisi.

Henrik Bo Hansen has concentrated on his performing career while serving as organist since 1996. He frequently performs as a chamber musician with members of The Royal Danish Orchestra and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra.

Lasse and Henrik have been performing as a duo for many years.

The Pieces

Villanelle, Paul Dukas . 07.16
Reverie Op.24, A. Glazounov. 04.00
Ballade, Jeanne Demessieux. 08.41
Nocturne Op.7, Franz Strauss. 07.02
Romance Op.36, C. Saint-Saens. 03.48
Concertino 1st Movement, Leoš Janáček. 05.35
Adagio & Allegro Op.70, R. Schumann. 09.15
Romance Op.67, C. Saint-Saens. 08.00
Serenade for Horn & Piano, Launy Grøndahl. 03.12

The Compact Disc version is solely intended to serve as a business card/merchandise for the duo when touring. It will not be distributed.

The author

Frederik Rostrup graduated as Tonmeister from the Tonmeisterinstitut der Universität der Künste, Berlin, Germany in 2003

He plays music in his leisure time.

He earns a living teaching math.

lasse mauritzen
Dette link vil vise dig musiktjenester der har musikken i din del af verden
https://LasseMauritzen-HenrikBoHansen.lnk.to/MusicForHornAndPiano

Hornoptagelse er forskellig fra optagelse af stort set alle andre lydkilder fordi hornet er et reflekterende instrument. Det betyder at lyden fra hornet er uløseligt forbundet med de omgivelser det spilles i. De fleste hornister har oplevet lydteknikere sætte mikrofonerne bag hornet, så de peger ind i schallstykket. På den måde kommer hornet til at lyde som en trækbasun. Hvis det var meningen, skulle de have hyret nogle basunister i stedet. Hornet har brug for mindst én reflektion før mikrofonen hører det, for at give den karakteristiske hornlyd. Det betyder at hornet skal optages fra en position foran hornisten. En vandrehistorie fortæller at Hermann Baumann prædikede dette evangelium. Kan nogle af læserne bekræfte det?

Horn & Klaver

I februar 2021 fik vi, takket være coronanedlukningen, den tid vi ellers aldrig ville have fundet, til at optage Music for Horn & Piano. Vi indspillede i 10 dage efter hinanden. Heldigvis havde vi venner og sponsorer, der kunne låne os en kirke, et koncertflygel og gode mikrofoner. Vilde planer havde vi, men virkeligheden tvang os til at skrue ned for ambitionerne, og det hjalp os faktisk i sidste ende.

Optagerummet

Vangede kirke nord for København er opført i halvfjerdserne med musikoptagelser for øje.
Kirken har en efterklangstid på omkring 3 sekunder i mellemtoneområdet, stigende til næsten 4 sekunder i basområdet.

Tekniksnak

Vi anvendte hovedmikrofonprincippet (i modsætning til polymikrofoni).

Hovedmikrofonsystemet var et tilnærmet ORTF cirka 4 meter fra klaveret, med hornisten i stereocenteret med front mod pianisten.

Vi lyttede og flyttede rundt på det, og endte som det ses på billederne.

Hornet blev støttet forfra med to usædvanlige mikrofoner: En ottetalsmikrofon over hornet med den “døve” side mod klaveret, og en rørmikrofon med nyrekarakteristik nedefra. Vi endte med at synes bedst om rørmikrofonen.

Optageudstyr

Mikrofoner fra Microtech Gefell, Tyskland. Læs den fascinerende firmahistorie her.
Hovedmikrofonsystem: 2xM930 stormembran nyre i tilnærmet ORTF

Støttemikrofoner:

CMV563/M7S genudgivelse af den klassiske stormembran-rørmikrofon (nyre)
UMT70S i ottetalsindstilling

Mikrofonforforstærker og analog til digital konverter:
RME fireface 800. Clockfrekvens 44.1 kHz. Bitrate: 24 bit

Digital audio workstation: Logic X på Macbook Air 2019- (lager på ekstern harddisk over USB)

Små højttalere: Genelec 8010
Hovedtelefoner: Beyerdynamic DT990

Effekter: ingen effekter, filtre, forsinkelser, komprimering eller kunstig rumklang overhovedet. Klangen du hører, er kirken selv.
(Erfarne akustikere har designet kirken til at klinge godt)

Loudness: Optagelsen overholder industristandarden for lydstyrke uden at vi har manipuleret den.

Klip

Selvom vi gik efter at indspille musikstykkerne i deres fulde længde, endte vi alligevel med at klippe de bedste optagelser sammen. Som med andre tekniske opfindelser, er det vist menneskets natur at bruge alle til rådighed stående kneb, selv når det er uetisk. Vi overvejede endda at overdubbe. Kun dovenskab afholdt os fra det.

Musikerne

Lasse Mauritzen startede i Radiosymfoniorkestret som solohornist i 2006, hvor han stadig spiller. Lasse har været solist med sit orkester flere gange times, deriblandt i en mindeværdig opførsel af Richard Strauss’ første hornkoncert i December 2017, under dirigent Fabio Luisi.

Henrik Bo Hansen har koncentreret sig om sin kammermusik sideløbende med sin rolle som organist i Vangede kirke siden1996. Han spiller ofte kammermusik med musikere fra det Kongelige Kapel og fra Radiosymfoniorkestret.

Lasse og Henrik har optrådt som duo i mange år.

Musikken

Villanelle, Paul Dukas . 07.16
Reverie Op.24, A. Glazounov. 04.00
Ballade, Jeanne Demessieux. 08.41
Nocturne Op.7, Franz Strauss. 07.02
Romance Op.36, C. Saint-Saens. 03.48
Concertino 1st Movement, Leoš Janáček. 05.35
Adagio & Allegro Op.70, R. Schumann. 09.15
Romance Op.67, C. Saint-Saens. 08.00
Serenade for Horn & Piano, Launy Grøndahl. 03.12

Hvordan kan jeg komme til at høre det?

https://LasseMauritzen-HenrikBoHansen.lnk.to/MusicForHornAndPiano

Forfatteren

Frederik Rostrup dimitterede som Tonmeister fra Tonmeisterinstitut der Universität der Künste, Berlin, Tyskland i 2003
Han spiller musik i sin fritid.
Han ernærer sig ved at undervise i matematik.

(This fascinating article will also appear (in English) in the October 2021 Horn Call.)

Hornist, Teacher, Role Model
by Robert Freund

English Translation by Elisabeth Freund-Ducatez and Cecilia Cloughly

Deutsche Originalversion

The following is an excerpt from the author’s new book on Gottfried von Freiberg, self-published in December 2020, and available from robert.freund@gmx.at.

Who was Gottfried von Freiberg?

Let me say it straightaway: Gottfried von Freiberg was my horn teacher, was our professor at the Academy, and a role model for an entire generation of horn players in Austria. To date, nothing has been written about him, except for a few scarce lines in encyclopedias, written in a very general and impersonal manner.

Therefore, in 2018-2019, I began to make notes and compile thoughts about his origins, his family, and his musical studies. I researched why he joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra for one season before returning to Nazi Vienna, and how he survived the war and the Nazi era. What were the circumstances of the world premiere of Richard Strauss’s Second Horn Concerto, with Freiberg as soloist in Salzburg in 1943? As the questions accumulated, I began to write down facts.

Career in the Interwar Period

Gottfried von Freiberg was born in Vienna on April 11, 1908, into the family of a senior civil servant. He studied horn at the Vienna Music Academy with the famous Karl Stiegler, solo horn of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, who happened to be his uncle. Freiberg’s career began in 1927 as the first horn in Karlsruhe (Germany), where the Viennese conductor Josef Krips was chief conductor. Only one year later, in 1928, Freiberg became assistant 1st horn at the Vienna Philharmonic, next to Stiegler. After Stiegler’s death in 1932, Freiberg took over the position as first solo horn at the age of 24 years, as well as his late uncle’s teaching position at the Vienna Music Academy.

In 1936, Freiberg moved to Boston for one season, where he played first horn with the BSO under conductors Sergei Koussevitzky and Pierre Monteux, sharing his orchestral duties with the local solo hornist Willem Valkenier. In my book, I describe in detail why Freiberg did not succeed in Boston and how he was, on the contrary, treated with hostility and suspicion. While he was in Boston, Freiberg knew, of course, that Nazis were already in charge in Austria, and, in particular, that Nazi sympathizers as well as members of the Nazi party (NSDAP) were filling the ranks of the Vienna Philharmonic. Nevertheless, Freiberg threw in the towel after ten months in Boston and returned from the USA. As of 1937, he was back again as first horn player of the Vienna Philharmonic as well as Professor at the Music Academy.

The Nazi Era

One should not make the mistake of considering the Nazi era in Austria as being only from the “Anschluss” in 1938 to the end of World War II. In Austria, the NS movement started well before the 1930s and lasted into the 1960s. Blacklists had long been prepared on opponents of the new system and of Jews. Meticulous records were kept about anyone in Austria of Jewish descent or even married to a Jew. It was a well-known fact that Freiberg not only strictly rejected Nazi ideas but was considered a “Mischling,” having a Jewish grandfather – a potential death sentence. Only a few days after the “Anschluss,” Freiberg came to know the new Hitler regime firsthand through two letters, one confirming his classification as a “quarter-Jew,” the other dismissing him from the Academy. Thanks to the support of the famous conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler in front of the highest Nazi authorities in Berlin, Freiberg and eight other “undesirable” members of the Vienna Philharmonic were allowed to remain in the orchestra. Thanks to this “special permit,” the Academy reversed its decision and rehired Freiberg. Many other “politically objectionable” members were immediately dismissed or had already fled. During the war, these nine members of the Philharmonic were miserable. Any decline in their artistic level, e.g. for health reasons, would have led to an immediate dismissal. Consequently, the pressure on Freiberg must have been immense!

Artistic Highlight in the Midst of the War

Ironically, in 1943, one of the highlights of Freiberg’s musical career fell into this politically perilous war period: the world premiere of Richard Strauss’s Second Horn Concerto, performed in Salzburg by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Karl Böhm with Freiberg as the soloist. The composer came from Bavaria to attend the first rehearsal, but he left before it was finished and did not show up two days later on August 11, 1943 for the premiere of his new composition. His absence raised questions and unresolved issues in the Central European musical landscape. Only recently – seven decades later – the German hornist Peter Damm was able to shed light on this mystery, as my book reports in detail. For Freiberg – as well as for his students – this famous world premiere of the Strauss Horn Concerto undoubtedly remains one of the artistic highlights of his life.

Chairman of the Orchestral Board after the War

When the war was over in 1945, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra urgently needed a non-Nazi-affiliated representative, since only an “unencumbered” member could successfully negotiate with the four Allied Forces: USA, Russia, France, England. These occupying forces controlled every aspect of life, even culture. Thus, Freiberg was elected chairman of the Orchestral Board – yet another highpoint of his life – from a social point of view. However, he was confronted with the Board’s irreconcilable differences and extreme tensions within the orchestra in the immediate post-war period. After only one year, Freiberg resigned from his position as chairman of the Board, justifying his decision in a well-reasoned “Memorandum” that is printed in full length in my book.

The difficult war-time period, the bombings, his concerns about his family, his demanding job at the State Opera and the Philharmonic Orchestra, numerous recordings, as well as his horn lessons at the Academy four days a week, his excessive smoking and consumption of coffee, plus the night-time scoring work – all this led to a series of heart attacks and – in 1962 – to Freiberg’s early death at the age of 54 years.

Freiberg as a Horn Teacher

I had played various brass instruments during my high school years in Switzerland. When I returned to Vienna in 1953, I definitely wanted to study music. When I asked people about career opportunities, I was told, “Are you crazy? And what are you going to live off?” I was well prepared for the entrance exam at the Academy of Music, yet Freiberg did not want to hear my etudes, but only politely asked me to play a C major scale. With a “Thank you, first year!” I was accepted at the famous Academy.

My horn lessons were always on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Freiberg and a few other teachers required all their students to be present at the beginning of their teaching classes at 1 p.m. The advanced students played first for the entire class, while the younger ones had to listen, in order to get to know the pieces and the common mistakes hornists made in them. We thought it was a good system – we younger pupils learned much without playing a single note, while the advanced ones had an audience.

Since I was one of the beginners and my lesson used to be late in the afternoon, Freiberg often talked to me after my lesson ended, before the beginning of his opera service an hour or so later. In the empty classroom, standing at the window overlooking the historic square Schwarzenbergplatz, he would smoke and talk about his life in the orchestra, about operas and conductors, even his work at the Musicians’ Union – and I would listen, thrilled.

Freiberg was very patient when students played, even if they were not well prepared. He was always friendly and spoke a fine Viennese dialect. Lessons usually lasted 20 to 30 minutes. This could change abruptly and take up to 40 or 50 minutes when a student had a problem, be it with his lips, tongue, breath, embouchure, mouthpiece, and so on. In such a case, he would dance around the student for almost an hour, until everything was perfectly in order again. That was Freiberg’s unique secret. He hardly ever played for the students. This might have been due to his playing after his lessons at the Opera one hour later. With exceptions: twice he played the big solo at the end of the first movement of Brahms’s Second Symphony for me.

After a heart attack, Freiberg was on medical leave from performing, but he was allowed to teach. After months of not playing at all a student asked him how to attack a high a♭". Freiberg grabbed the nearest F horn, fixed his mouthpiece carefully, and attacked this note wonderfully and softly. At his last New Year’s Eve party, he was asked by a friend, a bass trombonist, how low a horn player could play; he again grabbed a horn and attacked a contra A right away. Every horn player in the world understands what that means.

Freiberg’s greatest influence on my horn studies and my future life as a musician came not from talking, not from his teaching, but from setting an example as a human being and a musician. In every aspect, he was exactly the hornist I wanted to become. One day he asked me: “Freund, do you want to come to Brussels with me for three weeks?” It was the Brussels World Fair of 1958 – of course I did! Every day, I had public classes with my professor in Brussels.

That same year, tempted by the opportunity to earn money, I decided to accept my first orchestra job as a hornist with the Hungarian Refugee Orchestra, the Philharmonia Hungarica. Up to this day, I believe that Freiberg disagreed with my decision – although he never said a word. I continued attending class, but he died in 1962 before I could take my final exam.

Specifics from his Lessons

Freiberg’s way of teaching was quiet, friendly, helpful, and attentive to every detail. He always stood next to the grand piano and “watched over” the pupil’s playing. A tone had to be attacked clearly, not necessarily with a strong “ta,” but rather with a distinctive “da” – no sneaking into the note allowed. He often mentioned the unique dynamics of playing the Vienna F Horn. Of course, we all had to play this instrument. Freiberg accepted double horns only with students from abroad. It was very important to him that in playing with piano accompaniment the pupil didn’t just “play along,” but rather made music out of every note.

My book recounts some of the things that were of particular importance to Freiberg and his colleagues regarding the Viennese way of phrasing and articulating. Like many of his Philharmonic colleagues, he was convinced of the importance of upholding the Austrian tradition of playing music, based on the Method for Violin by Leopold Mozart. He himself observed this tradition in his own playing and, of course, he taught it to his students. Inexorably and persistently, he demanded a beautiful horn tone, clear articulation, a clean staccato, long upbeats, and even a certain length or shortness of notes – all according to Viennese tradition. Each tone, even the shortest staccato, had to be bell-shaped, not cut off by the tongue. Another imperative was his kind of Viennese slur: not just simply connecting one note to the next, as the instrument would allow it – he wanted to hear the slur itself.

I remember one exhausting lesson, after having been corrected at great length in Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4 for half an hour, so that I did not know anymore what and how to play at all. (It did work out in the end.) For decades, I have been deeply grateful to Freiberg for having been so unrelenting in his teaching, for showing me the way to play Mozart.

Using a number of music excerpts in my book, I offer insights into the Viennese musical tradition – even for non-experts. Strong slurs and a certain articulation were certainly idiosyncratic in Freiberg’s playing. In these matters he – along with some Philharmonic colleagues – was unyielding. “Pushing“ in slurs, cutting off short staccato, and an uninspired, note-by-note performance were absolute no-gos for Freiberg.

Freiberg’s Library and Students

Gottfried von Freiberg succeeded his uncle, Karl Stiegler (1886-1932), at the Academy of Music in Vienna in the year 1932. He also took over the abundant library of horn scores and parts of Josef Schantl (1842-1902) and Stiegler, his predecessors at the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna Academy of Music. Therefore, Freiberg was said to own the largest library of horn music in the world.

He taught horn for 30 years, until his early death in 1962, developing a whole generation of horn players in Austria. Since the students of Freiberg were a big part of his life – he looked after them not only in class, but, when appropriate, also personally, I dedicated an entire chapter of the book to them. His former students played in all of Austria’s orchestras and also abroad. Some of them became famous hornists, some succeeded in various other professions. In my book, I tried to mention each and every student and tell their stories.

Freiberg in Testimonials

In his memoirs, the Viennese former chief conductor of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Josef Krips, an honorary citizen of San Francisco, mentioned the 18-year-old Freiberg as a wonderful young first hornist in Karlsruhe. My book cites twenty-four different statements and letters from contemporary witnesses – many of them from the Vienna Philharmonic – that offer insights into how colleagues and music enthusiasts saw and judged Freiberg.

Freiberg as an Author, Composer and on Recordings

Freiberg composed about fifty horn quartets and quintets, half of them for Christmas. He also wrote fanfares; one of them is still played at the opening of the annual ball of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the Musikverein. These fanfares were also regularly played by the Vienna Horn Society (Wiener Waldhornverein). Let me also mention Freiberg’s arrangements of the Adagio of Anton Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony for five and eight horns respectively, following the well-known example of Ferdinand Löwe (1863-1925) who had arranged music from Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony. The scores and parts have recently been printed (2020) and are now available in Austria at lanolino.at/musikverlag.

In 1938, Freiberg was invited to write an entry about the horn for a new German Music Encyclopedia. He wrote about 20 pages, shedding light on historical and functional dimensions, transposition, embouchure, and the best age to start studying, published as “Das Horn.” The article is of great interest, and in my book I cite some excerpts from it in an abbreviated manner.

Recordings that include Freiberg’s solo playing exist until this day, among them Strauss’s Second Horn Concerto, which was produced in Vienna three months after the 1943 premiere in Salzburg with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Karl Böhm. Some other recordings include Mozart’s Horn Quintet KV 407, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante KV 297b/App. I.9, Mozart’s Serenade in E-flat major, Schubert’s Octet for Strings and Winds, Haydn’s Octet for Winds in F major, Beethoven’s Sextet with String Quartet, the Notturno from A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Mendelssohn, and Beethoven’s Octet.

Freiberg and the F Horn

In his time (1928-1962), Freiberg was the strongest advocate and guardian of the Vienna F Horn. He saw it as the only option and he ensured two things: that the instrument as such as well as the Viennese way to play it were retained. Putting down the double horn and using an F horn instead – that alone was not the Vienna Horn tradition!

Freiberg always maintained an interest in instruments. Unfortunately, no high-quality F Horns were produced in Vienna at the time, technically speaking. However, from the point of view of tone quality, they were fabulous! Freiberg also owned a double horn, made probably by Anton Cizek, Vienna, an F/high-F horn. He enjoyed it very much and showed it around to everybody interested in these types of instruments. He certainly used it for the Trio in Haydn’s Wind Octet and for other high parts. When he showed it to me, I remember him whispering to me: “Try attacking very softly; that works best.” Later I bought it from the family and felt the same pleasure in playing tricky high parts on it.

Although the Vienna Philharmonic continued to play exclusively on the F horn after World War II, other Viennese orchestras switched to double horns. Luckily, the Vienna F Horn improved technically, so that the other big orchestras of Vienna (Vienna Symphony, Volksoper, Tonkünstler Orchestra) do again play only the Vienna F horn. The Vienna Horn, as you can read in my book on Freiberg, means much more to us than just a necessity or a question of taste; it is an attitude of life, of musical belief. Our orchestras and their horn sections are convinced that the sound of Bruckner played on our F horns – matching the rest of the brass section – is closest to the Bruckner sound of 1890. And we are proud of that. I did not want to omit this Austrian peculiarity in my book about Freiberg.

Some things we shall never know, such as how Freiberg’s horn playing was perceived (or rejected) by American listeners and colleagues in Boston in 1936. Every man has his secrets!

Robert Freund, born in 1932 in Vienna, was sent to Switzerland in the post-war period by the Swiss Red Cross, children’s aid, spent his high school years at the seminary school in Engelberg (1946-53), where he learned to play several brass instruments. Upon his return to Vienna, he graduated from the Vienna School of Hotel Management and studied Interpreting at Vienna University. Beginning in 1955, he studied horn with Gottfried von Freiberg at the Vienna Academy of Music. He played first horn at the Philharmonia Hungarica, the Tonkünstler Orchestra (in Vienna) and solo horn at the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Besides his soloist activity, he was a passionate chamber musician (Wiener Bläserquintett) and toured Europe, the Middle East, the USA and Canada as well as Japan. During his entire professional career he taught horn (at University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz, among others) and wrote a French Horn Method for Young Beginners published by Doblinger.

Robert Freund is married and has three adult children. He continues to this day to be a fervent defender of the F horn and the Viennese musical tradition. His biography of Gottfried von Freiberg was self-published in December 2020, and is available from robert.freund@gmx.at.

English version

bayres1 BAYRES HORNS es un cuarteto de cornos que tiene como principal objetivo difundir un nuevo repertorio, principalmente la música argentina y latinoamericana. Está integrado por Fernando Chiappero, Luis Ariel Martino, Gustavo Ibacache y Christian Morabito, todos miembros de las Orquestas Filarmónica y Estable del Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Desde sus comienzos, en 2017, BAYRES HORNS se ha presentado en numerosos conciertos e importantes Festivales tales como: 49th IHS International Symposium (International Horn Society) en Natal (Brasil),VEncontroBrasileirodeTrompistas,FestivalyMundialInternacionaldeTango – TANGOBA 2018 (Argentina); Temporada de Conciertos en el SODRE (Montevideo, Uruguay) y del Ciclo Interpretes Argentinos en el Teatro Colón (Argentina).

Fernando Chiappero: “Personalmente creo que en la vida de todo músico está siempre presente el deseo y la necesidad de dar espacios a proyectos propios; que estimulen la creatividad y el desarrollo de nuestras ideas y capacidades”.

Christian Morabito: “Cuando visitamos otros países muchas veces nos preguntan... Por qué BAYRES? “BAYRES” es una expresión popular en Argentina que significa Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Elegimos este nombre porque claramente nos representa culturalmente y geográficamente. BAYRES es BUENOS AIRES.”

En 2018 BAYRES HORNS lanza su primer álbum CONCERTANGO, un disco dedicado al TANGO en todos sus estilos. El CD CONCERTANGO se encuentra disponible en todas las plataformas digitales como así también en formato físico.

Luis Ariel Martino: “Algo estaba muy claro entre nosotros y era la necesidad de ofrecer al público y al mundo musical una alternativa diferente a lo ya conocido. Hace tiempo que en Latinoamérica han surgido nuevas propuestas que expresan una necesidad de reencontrarnos con nuestras raíces. Con certeza esa fue nuestra principal motivación que da forma a este proyecto. “

Fernando Chiappero: “Que música hacer?, que camino nos llevaría a un sonido diferente? fueron algunos de los interrogantes a resolver y dijimos.. “Por qué no hacer Tango? Es así que decidimos producir nuestros propios arreglos. Queríamos generar un sonido propio y autentico que nos identifique. En lo personal tengo el honor y el placer de realizar la totalidad de los arreglos y adaptaciones, un desafío que me brindó mucho crecimiento en lo artístico y creativo”

Gustavo Ibacache: “Es evidente que la música latina se hace oír cada vez más fuerte en el mundo abriendo nuevos caminos al repertorio tradicional. Grandes compositores han sabido trasladar a la música orquestal y de cámara esa riqueza única, ritmos autóctonos y armonías diferentes. Trasladar esos recursos a la sonoridad de un cuarteto de cornos es para nosotros un gran desafío y una gran responsabilidad ya que requiere un intenso trabajo en el conocimiento de los diferentes estilos”.

En 2019 BAYRES HORNS presenta su Show CONCERTANGO por primera vez en Europa, precisamente en España, realizando conciertos en Barcelona y Valencia como así también en el ITALIAN BRASS WEEK Festival da Firenze (Italia)

Christian Morabito: “por qué decimos que CONCERTANGO es un Show? Simplemente porque es un formato atípico de concierto. Incorporamos elementos distintos. Hay una interacción fluida con el público que logra sentirse parte del espectáculo. Es decir que no solo disfrutamos de tocar juntos sino también de recibir esa devolución constante del público que hace que todo sea muy especial. Pienso que el público actual necesita estar más cerca de los artistas, anhela que todo sea más dinámico, digamos que se trata de acortar las distancias entre el escenario y el auditorio.”

Luis Ariel Martino: “Hemos incorporado al show elementos como la danza, el teatro, vestuario y especialmente imágenes y videos que interactúan constantemente con el hecho estrictamente musical. Tengo el placer de ser quien edita y hace la producción audiovisual de nuestros shows. Es algo muy especial para mí ya que esas imágenes deben ser cuidadosamente elegidas con el objetivo de transmitir la esencia de nuestra música. Claramente es un espacio muy creativo que se complementa perfectamente al hecho de tocar y hacer música.”

Fernando Chiappero: “presentar nuestra música en Europa fue una experiencia realmente increíble. Ver cómo la gente disfrutaba del Tango, como sonaban esos acordes y esas melodías en lugares tan históricos y emblemáticos, ver la reacción del público, en parte sorprendida de que cuatro cornos puedan hacer tango, era realmente un sueño.”

BAYRES HORNS es frecuentemente invitado a Festivales y Simposios dando masterclass y trabajando con las nuevas generaciones de cornistas. Además está dedicado a estimular a los compositores latinoamericanos actuales a crear nuevas obras originales para ser estrenadas con el objetivo de enriquecer el repertorio universal y seguir difundiendo el desarrollo del corno en toda la región. En 2017 realiza el estreno mundial de Variaciones Concertantes para Cuatro Cornos y Orquesta del compositor brasilero Arthur Barbosa junto a la Orquesta Sinfónica Unisinos de Porto Alegre (Brasil). En 2021 se estrenará el Concierto para Cuatro Cornos y Orquesta del compositor argentino Gerardo Gardelin junto a la Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos.

Gustavo Ibacache: “como parte de nuestro proyecto es muy importante para nosotros trabajar junto a los compositores actuales para que dediquen obras a nuestro instrumento y en especial a nuestra formación de cuarteto. Hemos recibido propuestas y hemos también encomendado composiciones que serán estrenadas muy pronto como es el caso de la obra del compositor Gerardo Gardelin que será la primera obra argentina escrita para cuatro cornos y orquesta.”

Christian Morabito: “Ya sea como grupo o individualmente, quienes integramos Bayres Horns tenemos una intensa actividad en al ámbito de la enseñanza, principalmente en Argentina y toda América Latina, participando de Festivales y Encuentros que son de vital importancia para el desarrollo de las nuevas generaciones de cornistas.”

En el presente año BAYRES HORNS lanzará su segundo álbum “BAYRES HORNS PLAY PIAZZOLLA”, un integral de la música de Astor Piazzolla en un formato diferente, una nueva fusión con los elementos tradicionales del Nuevo Tango. El álbum será presentado en septiembre de 2021 y estará disponible en todas las plataformas digitales.

Luis Ariel Martino: “Sin duda creemos que este nuevo disco dedicado a Astor Piazzolla y su música será algo muy especial, fueron seleccionadas no solo las obras más famosas de Piazzolla sino aquellas que quizá no fueron muy difundidas. Siempre quisimos hacer un disco completamente dedicado a la música de Astor, básicamente porque representa el comienzo de lo nuevo. Piazzolla ha llegado con su música al corazón de todos los pueblos”

Fernando Chiappero: “BAYRES HORNS PLAY PIAZZOLLA será un disco fusión. Los cornos fusionados con aquellos instrumentos que identifican la música de Piazzolla como es el Bandoneón, el Piano, Violín, Contrabajo, Batería y el Canto. Incluirá, además, una versión inédita de TANGAZO la obra original de Astor Piazzolla para orquesta de cámara pero esta vez en versión de ocho cornos y orquesta. Es sin duda un gran desafío tanto desde mi lugar de intérprete como el de arreglador ya que esta fusión no tiene antecedentes y constituye un sonido totalmente diferente que hemos y seguimos descubriendo poco a poco y que disfrutamos mucho”

Gustavo Ibacache: “grabar este disco, mi primer disco con Bayres, es para mí una hermosa experiencia ya que en mi caso, que soy nacido en Chile y vivo en Argentina hace un tiempo, acercarme al Tango y en este caso a la música de Piazzolla desde un lugar diferente es un gran desafío.”

Christian Morabito: “hemos tenido el placer de grabar este nuevo disco con grandes músicos, algunos de ellos han tocado con Piazzolla y formaron parte de sus distintos proyectos. Una experiencia increíble. Estamos realmente muy felices y ansiosos de poder presentar este nuevo proyecto”

Bayres Horns: “agradecemos especialmente a la International Horn Society y a The Horn Call por invitarnos a participar de este espacio y difundir nuestro proyecto. Los invitamos a todos a seguirnos por las redes sociales Facebook, Instagram y YouTube / bayreshorns y nuestra página web www.bayreshorns.com. Muchas gracias!

bayres1 BAYRES HORNS is a horn quartet whose main objective is to promote new repertoire, specifically Argentine and Latin American music. The group’s members are Fernando Chiappero, Luis Ariel Martino, Gustavo Ibacache, and Christian Morabito, all of whom are members of the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Stable Orchestra of the Colón Theater in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since its inception in 2017, BAYRES HORNS has performed at numerous concerts as well as important music festivals, including the 49th annual IHS International Symposium (International Horn Society) en Natal (Brasil), the 5th annual Encontro Brasileiro de Trompistas, the Festival y Mundial Internacional de Tango – TANGOBA 2018 (Argentina), the Concerts Season in the SODRE Theater (Montevideo, Uruguay) and the Season “Argentine Interpreters” in the Colón Theater (Argentina).

Fernando Chiappero: “I personally believe that in the life of every musician there is an ever-present desire and necessity to allow space for one's own projects, which stimulate creativity and the development of our ideas and capabilities.”

Christian Morabito: “When we visit other countries we are often asked about the name of the group. BAYRES is a popular expression in Argentina, which signifies the city of Buenos Aires. We chose this name because it clearly represents us both culturally and geographically. “BAYRES” is BUENOS AIRES.”

In 2018, BAYRES HORNS launched their first album CONCERTANGO, a disc dedicated to the TANGO, including the different styles of the genre. The CD CONCERTANGO is available on all the digital platforms and on traditional compact disc format.

Luis Ariel Martino: “One thing that was very clear amongst us was the need to offer a different alternative from that which was already known both to the public in general and to the musical community. For some time now in Latin America, new proposals have been emerging which express a need to return to our roots. This was most certainly the principal motivation which gave form to this project.”

BAYRES HORNS is a horn quartet whose main objective is to promote new repertoire, specifically Argentine and Latin American music. The group’s members are Fernando Chiappero, Luis Ariel Martino, Gustavo Ibacache, and Christian Morabito, all of whom are members of the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Stable Orchestra of the Colón Theater in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since its inception in 2017, BAYRES HORNS has performed at numerous concerts as well as important music festivals, including the 49th annual IHS International Symposium (International Horn Society) en Natal (Brasil), the 5th annual Encontro Brasileiro de Trompistas, the Festival y Mundial Internacional de Tango – TANGOBA 2018 (Argentina), the Concerts Season in the SODRE Theater (Montevideo, Uruguay) and the Season “Argentine Interpreters” in the Colón Theater (Argentina).

In 2018, BAYRES HORNS launched their first album CONCERTANGO, a disc dedicated to the TANGO, including the different styles of the genre. The CD CONCERTANGO is available on all the digital platforms and on traditional compact disc format.

Fernando Chiappero: “Which music to perform? Which path would lead us to discover a different sound? These were some of the questions to be resolved and we asked ourselves, ’Why not perform tango?’ That was when we decided to produce our own musical arrangements. We wanted to create a proprietary and authentic sound that would identify us. I have the honor and privilege to have made all the musical arrangements and adaptations, a challenge which brought me much personal, artistic, and creative growth.”

Gustavo Ibacache: “It is evident that Latin music is being heard ever more strongly in the world, opening new roads as an alternative to traditional repertoire. Great composers have known how to transport that special richness of rhythm and distinctive harmony to orchestral and chamber music. To capitalize on those resources within the sonority of a French horn quartet is a big challenge for us and an important responsibility which requires intense work and knowledge of different musical styles.”

In 2019, BAYRES HORNS presented their show CONCERTANGO for the first time in Europe, specifically in Spain, performing concerts in Barcelona and Valencia, and in the ITALIAN BRASS WEEK (Festival da Firenze), Italy.

Christian Morabito: “Why do we consider CONCERTANGO to be a show? Simply because it is an atypical concert format. We incorporate different elements. There is a fluid interaction with the public, who actively partakes in the concert experience. In other words, not only do we enjoy performing together, but also receiving constant feedback from the audience, which makes everything so special. I think that the modern audience needs to be closer to the artists, such that everything is more dynamic. Let’s just say that it’s all about breaching the distance between the stage and the listeners.”

Luis Ariel Martino: “We have incorporated elements into the show such as dance, theater, costumes, and especially videos and imagery which constantly interact with the strictly musical aspect. I have the pleasure of being the one who edit and produces the audiovisual components of our shows. It’s something very special for me because the images must be carefully chosen, with the objective being to transmitted essence of our music. It is clearly a very creative space which is perfectly complemented by both the performing and creating of music.”

Fernando Chiappero: “Having presents our music in Europe was a truly incredible experience. Seeing how people enjoyed the tango, how those chords sounded, and those melodies in such historic and emblematic venues seeing the reaction of the audience being partly surprised that four French horns can tango, really was a dream fulfilled.”

BAYRES HORNS is frequently invited to festivals and symposiums to give masterclasses and work with the upcoming generations of horn players. In addition, the group is dedicated to stimulating contemporary Latin American composers to create new original works to be premiered with the objective of enriching the universal repertoire and continuing to transmit the development of the French horn throughout the region. In 2017, they performed the world premiere of Variaciones Concertantes para Cuatro Cornos y Orquesta, by the Brazilian composer Arthur Barbosa, in collaboration with the Unisinos Orchestra of Porto Alegre (Brasil). In 2021, Bayres Horns will premiere the Concerto for Four Horns and Orchestra by the Argentine composer Gerardo Gardelin with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra.

Gustavo Ibacache: “As part of our project, it is very important for us to collaborate with contemporary composers so that they may dedicate compositions to our instrument and especially to our formation as a quartet. We have received proposals and have also commissioned compositions which will be premiered very soon, as is the case with the piece by the composer Gerardo Gardelin, which will be the very first Argentine piece written for four horns and orchestra.”

Christian Morabito: “Whether as a group or individually, those of us who form part of BAYRES HORNS have an intense activity in the area of education, principally in Argentina and all of Latin America, participating in festivals and encounters which are of vital importance for the development of new generations of French horn players.”

During the current year, BAYRES HORNS will launch their second album “BAYRES HORNS PLAY PIAZZOLLA”, an integration of the music of Astor Piazzolla in a different format, a new fusion with the traditional elements of the New Tango. The album will be presented in September 2021 and available on all the digital platforms.

Luis Ariel Martino: “We believe undoubtedly that this new disc dedicated to Astor Piazzolla and his music will be something very special, as the selected works include not only his most famous pieces, but also ones which are lesser-known. We always wanted to make an album that was completely dedicated to the music of Astor, basically because it represents the beginning of something new. Piazzolla has found his way into everyone’s hearts with his music.”

Fernando Chiappero: “BAYRES HORNS PLAY PIAZZOLLA will be a fusion disc. The horns fused with those instruments associated with the music of Piazzolla, such as the Bandoneón, piano, violin, double bass, drums, and voice. It will also include an unedited version of TANGAZO, the original piece by Astor Piazzolla for chamber orchestra but this time in a version for Eight Horns and Orchestra. This is without a doubt a huge challenge not only from my place as a performer but also as an arranger, due to the fact that this fusion has never before been attempted and also because it utilizes a totally different which we continue to discover little by little and which we enjoy greatly.”

Gustavo Ibacache: “Recording this disc, my first disc with BAYRES is a beautiful experience for me, as I am originally from Chile and live in Argentina for some time now, getting closer to tango, and in this case to the music of Piazzolla from a different origin, is a big challenge.” Christian Morabito: “We have had the pleasure of recording this new disc with amazing musicians, some of whom have played with Piazzolla and have taken part in his projects. An amazing experience. We are really very happy and anxious to be able to present this new project.”

BAYRES HORNS: “We especially thank the International Horn Society for inviting us to participate in this space and for promoting our project. We invite you all to follow us on social media, including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube / bayreshorns and to visit our website www.bayreshorns.com. Thank you very much!

“Which music to perform? Which path would lead us to discover a different sound? These were some of the questions to be resolved and we asked ourselves, ’Why not perform tango?’ That was when we decided to produce our own musical arrangements. We wanted to create a proprietary and authentic sound that would identify us. I have the honor and privilege to have made all the musical arrangements and adaptations, a challenge which brought me much personal, artistic, and creative growth.”

Gustavo Ibacache: “It is evident that Latin music is being heard ever more strongly in the world, opening new roads as an alternative to traditional repertoire. Great composers have known how to transport that special richness of rhythm and distinctive harmony to orchestral and chamber music. To capitalize on those resources within the sonority of a French horn quartet is a big challenge for us and an important responsibility which requires intense work and knowledge of different musical styles.”

froydis interview

Frøydis Ree Wekre in conversation with Lindsey Stoker on the publication of her new book, Collected Writings

What made you decide to write a book like Collected Writings?

I like to write, I like to try to explain things in writing, I like to save time with students by having notes ready to help with various issues (‘issues’, not ‘problems’). The little notes and articles have gathered over 25 years at least so it has been in the back of my mind to have them collected up and gathered together in one place.

Also there are some controversial topics, topics that professional people in the brass world don’t agree on 100%; it’s difficult to get those through in the context of other peoples’ masterclasses as that is considered impolite, but I would like to raise my voice against a few things where I think people are being too dogmatic. For example, there is a little chapter on buzzing and another on support which in some countries are considered normal but in others are considered ’illegal’ or just wrong.

What kind of readers do you have in mind?

At first I was thinking about my students or ex-students, but when I saw the book I realised that it is quite serious and in a way, heavy. I think I’m aiming at my colleagues, teachers and performers, and preferably those who have been out in the real world for a little while, or a long while.

The chapter on communication with musicians offers thoughts on how we communicate in an effective way without people being offended. I don’t have the answers, but at least I have the courage to ask the questions. Maybe someone can take it further and I can learn from them.

Some chapters can be used for any student, for example intonation, but when we’re dealing with the difference between art and craft, then we’re out swimming in the ocean.

There’s more pages about teaching than about anything else; teaching is very important and can be so many things, it’s not automatic that you are a good player and therefore a good teacher.

Why did you choose to self-publish this book?

I wanted the possibility to afford to be able to hand it out for free. I like that feeling of ownership; I am the one publishing it and printing it, giving it to those I think deserve it or need it, who maybe will understand some of it and are interested in it. I can also sell it for a low price. I do like to share and it fits with a saying my mother used often, ‘noblesse oblige’, that “noble” people (meaning blessed with some talent, or luck, or both) should be obliged to do good, and although I am not so much doing good in the health department say, I would like to do good in the music and teaching department.

You have just turned seventy nine, have you retired altogether from performing and teaching?

I have retired from performing but I do like to practice. It’s a good feeling, I like the feeling of muscles in my mouth. I like the feeling of being able to pick up the horn and play one or two notes when I teach, that’s also why I like to stay in shape. To retire from performing was hard because I really enjoyed performing, but things started to get more difficult, I don’t know whether it was age itself, or I didn’t practice smart enough, or I didn’t practice the things I thought I had under control, it’s difficult to say. As for teaching, I don’t think I’ll ever retire as long as people keep asking for lessons or invite me to coach. If I can help then it’s also very gratifying for me, and the contact with the young is so valuable.

What are the key things that you would like to communicate through this book?

Firstly I would like to communicate the importance of remembering the artistic dimension. In the world of brass there are many good players but there are more artistically good players, for example on the violin or flute, who are exploring all the artistic possibilities of their instrument. If you play the horn it seems it’s enough to play in tune, on time, accurate, with a good sound, and clean articulation, and maybe good slurs, but for my taste there’s not enough people who dare to take chances, who dare to sing. I'd like people to think about what is the difference between good craft and high level artistry.

The second main thing I’d like to discuss is teaching; what is a good teacher, and being your own teacher. If you want to be a good teacher for yourself you had better shape up in that department. In the area of performing that includes having a good plan, a plan A and a plan B, why do we get nervous and what we can do about it.

The third thing is intonation, which I think needs more attention than is usually given. Maybe I need to write about this some more, “Whatever happened to melodic intonation for brass”?

What qualities do you think account for your enduring appeal as a teacher?

I think I have the urge or talent to be a good teacher in my blood. I think I have it from my grandfather, or my mother, and from various sources in my family history who have been known as good teachers in other subjects. My mother was a piano teacher for children, one of whom became the minister of culture. My grandfather was a school teacher and was able to get people energised and enthusiastic about their subjects. I think it’s something that you have to have, the inner desire to share and to help. I want to share knowledge that I have accumulated over the years, in my case from good teachers, good colleagues, good conductors and soloists that I have worked with. I share this and try to encourage young people that this is the level that you have to go for if you want to make a difference in music. You have to have something to share, it’s not enough just to be helpful. I had a compliment once from someone in New York that I was ‘demanding in a non-threatening way’. I don’t give up, but I don’t want to scare people either. Sometimes you have to back off, but if you see that the potential is there to make this more interesting, in the moment, then I like that, it’s like a sport. For teaching I see three things that you need; a good musical plan, technique to realise that plan, but you also need confidence, and a teacher is responsible for helping in all three areas. Although you could say that the students are responsible for themselves, I think that most people need help at some point. And usually when I teach I am in a good mood, which is important, because if you are sour and tired and angry then your teaching is not going to be very fruitful. It’s not artificial, thankfully it comes naturally with me.

What is your number one tip for up and coming players?

Perhaps my number one tip is about stamina, mental stamina, don’t give up. There are examples of people who move up to a certain learning plateau and then suddenly they are there, one step up, and don’t know when that happened. But when they are on those plateaus they have to be patient and have the stamina, and of course seek out the best possible teachers, not necessarily those who are available, or the best players, but those who are best for them, those who they can trust to give good advice.

What were the qualities that you admired in your teachers?

For my two most important teachers of the horn, I admired the musicianship and humanity the most. Wilhelm Lanzky-Otto was really big on phrasing, he wrote things in the part, he was always playing things on the piano, it was all about the music. In Russia, Vitaly Bujanovsky was also ‘about the music’ but at a more demanding level. He was more about the art than just the craft of musicianship. Both were good, and one built on the other. For the humanity aspect it was a sense that they created a relationship with that person. It’s very important that there is a feeling that they care about you. You never know where your students are going to get.

The book is like a testament, what I want to say now, to my colleagues and musicians. It was a long term plan and then the occasion came when everything else was cancelled.

froydis book cover

This interview between Frøydis Ree Wekre and Lindsey Stoker appears here with the kind permission of the British Horn Society and the author.

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Acoustics - Recording the horn