by Inman Hebert
For horn students, by mid-semester, playing obligations can seem never-ending. Between ensemble concerts, solo work, and chamber music (let alone any gigs, extracurricular playing, or marching band), rehearsals and performances can become an endless cycle of preparation and fatigue. Somehow, through this constant stream of playing, we are expected to have the endurance to practice in addition to the numerous other hours of face-time. Due to the taxing physical demands of horn playing, which often become more exacting as students enter performance-based careers, developing and maintaining proper endurance habits is crucial to positive perseverance.
A major endurance-related misconception contends that as students play more, their endurance will naturally develop alongside greater demands. The claim, however, oversimplifies the numerous factors which determine a student’s physical endurance. If we see endurance development as simply pushing ourselves for more time every day, then we risk developing poor habits that, in fact, hurt endurance-related pursuits later. Understanding the causes of poor endurance while practicing proper playing habits is critical to a more intelligent approach to endurance development.
Without a well-developed breathing technique, the ability to play a long time without rest will remain elusive. In connecting breath support to endurance, we must return to the fundamentals. Is our breathing shallow? Are facial muscles or shoulders tense on inhalation? Are the arms collapsed against the rib cage (which limits capacity and support)? Is the release of airflow steady? Relaxing keeps the airways open and allows for deeper breathing. Tension in all the wrong places inhibits the development of endurance.
Fortunately, doing exercises, both airflow-related and physical, can help our breathing technique and improve stamina. Breathing exercises often involve practicing inhaling and exhaling at various speeds to help us produce a steady stream of air. Standing close to the wall, is the airflow consistent so that a piece of paper remains in position until the exhalation stops? These practices teach us to take in as much air in one second as in four or to control the expiration rate. Air pressure management can help the hornist learn how to harness a small amount of fast-moving air for the high range and a more significant amount of slower-moving air for the low range. As an added benefit, these exercises alleviate stress and reduce tension. In recognizing the importance of airflow in endurance, students can work with mentors and review the abundance of resources to improve their breath support.
Additionally, cardiovascular exercise aids breathing and, in turn, improves stamina. Aerobic workouts attune us to our breathing muscles and train us to take quicker, more efficient breaths. In addition, physical activity such as running or biking also lowers our resting heart rate over time, which can help us calm ourselves more quickly before a performance and reduce the tension that affects our breathing. Incorporating anaerobic training, such as strengthening our core muscles, supports good posture, and this opens up breathing technique and helps prevent fatigue.
As tension inhibits effective breath support and, subsequently, endurance, excessive mouthpiece pressure restricts blood flow to the lips and contributes to limited endurance. A periodic reexamination of the embouchure warrants attention. Is the mouthpiece pressure distributed appropriately between the upper and lower lips? Is the mouthpiece being pushed in some inhibiting direction? In identifying solutions, students should revisit fundamental aspects of horn playing to help identify the reasons behind the pressure and work on eliminating them. We should strive for as relaxed an embouchure as possible, one that leaves only a slight mark on the lips.
While excessive mouthpiece pressure hinders circulation, proper warmups facilitate blood flow to the facial muscles. Horn players' warmups vary widely in length and composition, but instead of heading straight for the high notes, a student should focus on a productive warmup that activates all aspects of playing and helps prevent injury. Moreover, after practice, a warm-down prevents stiffness in the lips and preserves the embouchure for the next day.
After achieving proper breath support and appropriate mouthpiece pressure, the idea that endurance comes with consistent, focused practice becomes true. Three hours of daily practice spread out over a day becomes the standard of effort. However, in embracing the three-hour standard, how do students create a balance that does not overwork facial muscles in their busy playing schedules of rehearsals and concerts in addition to individual practice? One practical approach counts a lesson, rehearsal, or concert as one of those three sessions, while ensuring that the other sessions of the day are separated by a significant time margin to allow the facial muscles time for recovery. While time invested matters, improvement comes from using a methodical approach and not overworking yourself. Thoughtful practice is the key to improved stamina.
Building endurance evades simple answers but, rather, creates an interconnected web; however, if we set aside pride, assess fundamentals, and seek to understand the different components of stamina, we can work, with discipline and intelligence, to yield better results. Progress may be gradual and, at first, resemble a roller coaster rather than a straight ascent, but the satisfaction will be worthwhile when walking onto the stage confident in our endurance.
by Ricardo Matosinhos
The CD Hornscapes presents several pieces which showcase different possibilities of both horn and Wagner tuba. All the pieces were composed by horn players, “native speakers” of the horn player’s idiom. The concept of idiomatic horn writing is always present when I compose for the horn, and my doctoral research was, in fact, focused on this subject.
Following Douglas Hill’s idea of the Call to Action in his excellent book Collected Thoughts, we, as horn players, have a responsibility to encourage composers to write for our instruments. Even better, we should compose for our instrument ourselves, so that composers may take note of our capabilities and preferences.
I know that you might be thinking, “But I’ve never composed for the horn.” Yet, as a horn player, you know the instrument better than any composer, and that’s a significant advantage. The International Horn Society is currently running a composition contest until December 1st, making this the perfect opportunity for you to create a solo piece for the Featured Division. This piece can be performed by students and amateurs, but should also have enough musical integrity to honor professional performances.
This may seem like a daunting task for any composer, but it’s much easier for a horn player. Trust me, I don’t have a degree in composition, yet my works have fans worldwide and have been performed across the globe. So, I challenge you to compose a solo piece for our beloved horn!
With the release of this CD for horn (and Wagner tuba) and piano, I decided to create a small online contest for the recipients of Horn and More, the Newsletter of the International Horn Society. I’ve already offered two CDs in the September edition and another two in the October edition. But if you weren’t fast enough, there’s still a chance! I will be offering a final two CDs to the first two people who correctly answer the provided questions in the November editions.
If you were one of the winners of the September or October editions, you can still compete. However, if you place in the top two again, I will give the CD to the next person on the list.
Have fun, and good luck!
by Vidhurinda Samaraweera
Origins
What is “Papara?” This article explores a genre of music native to Sri Lanka widely known as either “Papare” or “Papara” (not to be confused with dunking bread popular in Greece and Turkey). The origins of the name Papara can be traced back to the late 1950s. A song named “Dingiri Dingale Meenakshi” (டிங்கிரி டிங்காலே மீனாட்சி) from the Tamil film titled “Anbu Engey” (அன்பு எங்கே, translated, “Where is Love?”), released in 1958, increased in popularity in Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was called back then). Later, this song was adapted in Sinhalese by two local artists, namely Maurice Dahanayake and R. Subasinghe. The tune of this song is still popular, and it instantly reminds us of Papara music. This is owing to the cleverly devised onomatopoeia in the song imitating the playing of a trumpet which goes, “Papara Papà Pàpa Pàpa.”
Instruments Used
A Papara band has two sections: rhythm and melody. The rhythm section consists of percussion instruments specially made for Papara including snare drum, bass drum, and hand cymbals. Numbers vary from occasion to occasion; it could be as low as 1 player per instrument to an army of percussionists. Their role is to maintain tempo or shift it. Often, a Papara piece starts steadily and gradually picks up speed, accelerating into hyper tempos allowing the people gathered to dance with great energy. The melody instruments normally are brass instruments. Trumpets and trombones play an integral role in carrying the tune, but on occasion a euphonium and/or a saxophone may be seen.
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| Sri Lankan Papara Band (1) | Sri Lankan Papara Band (2) |
Check out Papara from a sport spectator’s point of view.
Influences
In one of my previous articles, I delved deep into the influences of horn playing in Sri Lanka. There is evidence to show that Sri Lankan Papara has also been influenced by other cultures. In the article titled, “A Study on the Decline of the West Indian Influence on Sinhalese Music,” the author finds similarities in Sri Lankan Papara and the South Indian traditions of Melam and Kavadi (Wickramarachchi, 2006). Melam is a small group of percussionists and kombu horns found in Southern parts of India which can still be seen at Hindu Temples, and Kavadi is a form of devotional dance performed for a Hindu deity named Skanda Kumar. According to the article, The Rhythm Structure of Melam, a similar tradition is found in Kerala, in India called Chenda Melam, which is an ensemble consisting of instruments including kombu, cymbals, and other Indian percussion instruments (Vishnu Achutha Menon & Boobalakrishnan N., 2020). Hundreds of players may play this music together non-stop for hours with great discipline.
South Indian Melam
Apart from the Indians, the Portuguese who invaded the coastal areas of Sri Lanka in the 16th century also influenced local music. The Portuguese introduced instruments including the ukulele and guitar, and styles such as ballads to the locals. Baila was a style the Portuguese merchants and Kaffir slaves enjoyed. It is underpinned by 6/8 rhythmic patterns ideal for energetic dancing. Baila is heard in all corners of Sri Lanka at weddings, parties, and moments of celebration. Instruments like trumpet and saxophone became increasingly popular among the locals with the formation of the Police Band in 1873 under the British rule (Harish Sagar K., et al, 2021). Since then, with the advent of marching bands and funeral bands, and the influx of foreigners who imparted knowledge to the locals, the social fabric in Sri Lanka changed, and cross-cultural musical ensembles were established. Papara is only one such result combining Western instruments and derivatives of South Indian instruments, making it a uniquely Lankan affair.
Why no horns?
French horns are never seen in these ensembles for several reasons. One is that horns are expensive instruments not readily available for purchase on the island. (More about this can be read in my previous article, Horn Playing in Sri Lanka.) Secondly, players do not invest time or effort into learning, relegating the horn to a more difficult level. The harmonic series of F, as opposed to B-flat, and the mouthpiece being quite small makes it even more difficult for the players. Neither are hand-horn techniques unique to horn known to many locals. Finally, Papara bands are required to play very loud, mostly over the noise of a large group of people in a vast, open space. It is fair to say the horn would not be as loud as the other brass instruments in the band. Moreover, to play for hours on end, as long as 8–10 hours a day, would be quite taxing. Papara bands that play at cricket games, especially test matches, play close to 8 hours, and some religious parades held in the southern part of the island last for days. The risk of injuries to lips and arms and/or legs are imminent the entire time. Wounded players could be indisposed for days which would threaten their main source of income. Most Papara players engage in odd jobs during performances since income from playing Papara is largely insufficient to sustain a living.
Watch for Part 2 of this presentation in the next edition of the Horn and More.
Saudações!
Espero que estejam bem e que tenham tido um verão retemperador e refrescante, para poderem enfrentar a nova temporada cheio de energia e entusiasmo. Será, certamente, uma temporada desafiante, com muitas atividades e eventos em que a trompa e os seus intérpretes terão papel de destaque. É sempre um momento ótimo para planear a nossa agenda com as nossas atividades, mas também com aquelas que não se podem perder. Não faltarão oportunidades para quem procura melhorar as suas habilidades musicais ou, simplesmente, desfrutar do nosso maravilhoso instrumento.
Aí claramente já estou ansioso pelo IHS57, que irá decorrer de 24 a 28 de Junho de 2025 na James Madison University em Harrisonburg. Irei acompanhar todas as novidades e atualizações que o anfitrião Ian Zook, anfitrião nos trará nos próximos meses (incluindo nesta Newsletter).
A brilhante equipa da ‘Horn and More’ preparou uma interessantíssima edição para outubro, com vários artigos de várias origens que demonstram o quão abrangente é o nosso mundo da trompa.
Esta edição marcará a última contribuição de Daniel Grabois como Editor da Coluna Pedagógica. Uma palavra de agradecimento pelo fantástico trabalho que desenvolveu e pelos excelentes artigos que nos disponibilizou. Artigos para ler uma e outra vez e arquivar para futuras consultas. Obrigado Dan e continuação de muitos sucessos!
Como vice-presidente e coordenador internacional da IHS queria deixar duas últimas notas que considero muito relevantes. Se segue a nossa Newsletter com interesse e valoriza todo o trabalho altruísta feito pela equipa da ‘Horn and More’, e pela IHS em geral, por favor considere ser membro da nossa associação, caso ainda não o seja. Com a sua contribuição e apoio poderemos ser uma associação ainda mais forte, inclusiva e internacional. Em segundo lugar, caso seja membro pondere envolver-se com a IHS de forma ativa, há muitas formas de o fazer! Mantenha-se conectado com a nossa webpage
Tenha uma grande temporada 24/25 e “let the bell ring”!!
Bernardo Silva, Vice-Presidente da IHS
by Ian Zook
Volume 18 — Edmond Leloir
As readers of this column may agree, there are many joys in listening to and researching recordings of the past. It is that much more rewarding when there are unexpected surprises, such as we get to share together this month! I had sourced an album of Belgian hornist Edmond Leloir performing Schumann’s Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70, certainly one of our most celebrated standards of the repertoire. What I didn’t realize until I read the reverse album jacket and listened to the record, is that the famed conductor Ernest Ansermet orchestrated Schumann’s piece, and Edmond Leloir serves as soloist. Released in 1958 on London Records, this recording features L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Ansermet.
Briefly, Edmond Leloir (1912-2003) was born in Brussels, Belgium and made his performance career in Switzerland. He performed in Bern, Winterthur, and Zürich, before attaining the position of solo horn of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (OSR). He retired from the orchestra in 1977, having invested 31 years leading the horn section. Additionally, Leloir was very well known as an editor and publisher of a vast catalog of music, rediscovering numerous out-of-print or otherwise forgotten works. He was recognized as an Honorary Member of the IHS in 1983. For a much more detailed account of his life and contributions, I recommed reading his listing on the IHS website along with Jeroen Billiet’s fascinating dissertation Brave Belgians of the Belle Époque: a study in the late-romantic Ghent horn playing tradition.
To understand why Schumann’s Adagio and Allegro would be orchestrated, it’s valuable to learn about the interests and influence of Ernest Ansermet. A math professor early in his career, he transitioned into conducting, cutting his teeth with Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. He founded the OSR in 1918 and then focused the orchestra on interpretations of the difficult contemporary music of that era—works by Stravinsky, Dutilleux, Honegger, Prokofiev, and Britten, among others. Anserment did have a penchant for composition, and also arranged Debussy’s piano duo Six épigraphes antiques. It is likely that Anserment arranged Schumann’s work as a gift to Leloir, as their relationship was rooted in mutual musical respect and admiration.
Schumann’s use of contrast in Adagio and Allegro is evident. He drew inspiration from the fictitious characters Eusabius and Florestan, paeans of the Romantic ideal in both his compositions and in his writing as editor of the New Periodical for Music (Neue Zeitschrift für Musik). Writer Marie C. Miller addresses this topic: “Eusabius was the lyrical, the quiet introspective. Florestan was the more flamboyant, impetuous personality. Florestan, the truer Romantic of the pair, often displayed a mercurial state of mind and quickly changing personality.”
The piece opens with a tender, melancholy horn melody supported in this context by a mixture of arco and pizzicato strings with the oboe answering in dialogue:
As the Adagio section ends, Leloir effectively blends his very broad tone into the cello section countermelody. His launch into the Allegro is vigourous and full-throated, leading to a cadential apex in the strings that is much more reminiscent of Strauss in orchestration:
The transitional section, perhaps another pleading moment from Eusabius, really leans forward in tempo. The string section provides a churning sustain of sound as a noticeable sonic departure from the usual left-hand offbeats in the piano accompaniment:
Known for it’s endurance demands related to phrase length and range, Adagio and Allegro orchestrated as a concert piece is nearly of concerto-like dimensions. Leloir’s playing overall is quite heroic to match. He siezes upon this sonic challenge and truly rides above the weight of the orchestra throughout, even turning it up a notch through the ending:
In summary, it is interesting to listen to this reconception of a treasured staple in our repertoire. A true piece of chamber music, Adagio and Allegro rewards the duo who can malleably merge tones, phrasing, and tempi to give a voice to something unique. Perhaps something is lost in the horn’s necessary projection here with orchestra, or for the need for all involved to follow the interpretation of a conductor rather than listening and responding to one another. In either case, it provides ample room for discussion. Thanks for reading Horn on Record!
by Marty Schlenker
Dear Fellow Amateurs,
Several columns ago, I mentioned that John Ericson’s writing on horn embouchure had improved my understanding of the utility of keeping the corners of one’s lips tight, so that the correct balance could be achieved between “pucker” and “smile.” I renewed my focus on where I was setting my corners, generally narrowing them.
Then, I saw this mind-bending short video of Marc Papeghin playing his horn transcription of the finale of Sibelius’ fabulous Violin Concerto, posted to the “Horn People” Facebook group on August 30. As if the virtuosity wasn't enough, his entire face barely seems to move. His corners don’t show signs of deliberate positioning—they barely seem to be working at all. How I would love to know what’s going on inside the mouthpiece to enable the rest of Marc to appear so relaxed!
Question answered…? Matthew Haislip posted a short but fascinating video to the “Horn People” Facebook group on September 12 showing an embouchure view from inside the mouthpiece. In an earlier column, I stated a hunch that I needed to make my aperture smaller so that air would pass through it faster and I would gain range, flexibility, resonance, etc. This video appears to reinforce that idea, as the player’s aperture appears quite narrow, but Dr. Haislip’s comments about how to achieve this seem counterintuitive to me. To work excessively to manipulate the lip surface inside the mouthpiece, he says, is to fight the horn’s general tendencies.
If I had more practice time, maybe I’d have a more settled perspective. Please contact me with your thoughts on and experiences with this at marty.schlenker@cavaliers.org.
Your servant and kindred spirit,
Marty Schlenker, Amateur Hornist
by Caiti Beth McKinney
Hello all!
Happy Fall! This month I would love to share with you the music of French composer Odette Gartenlaub (1922-2014). Her work for horn and piano, Pour le Cour (1968) is quickly becoming a staple in our repertoire, and her accomplishments during her lifetime are well worthy of remembrance.
Not much is now known about Odette’s early years, other than the fact that she was an incredibly skilled pianist at a young age, winning a first-place performance award at the Paris Conservatoire when she was only fourteen. She continued studying at this prestigious institution until 1941, learning composition from Darius Milhaud, Olivier Messiaen, and others; however, in 1940, the Nazis occupied Paris and began enforcing strict bans aimed at anyone of Jewish heritage. As a result, Gartenlaub was no longer able to continue her musical education. After the war, Odette once again earned professional success and acclaim, becoming the sixth woman to ever win the famous Prix de Rome competition in composition. She even went on to become a professor at the Conservatoire in 1959, the very school which had once been forced to bar her access.
Pour le Cour follows in the grand tradition of French compositions for horn, with great technical challenges interspersed with lyrical lines. The piece begins with an eerie extended passage for horn alone, with the eventual entrance of an equally spooky piano accompaniment, all leading to a long, dramatic lip trill which propels the work into a frenzied second section. Filled with large leaps, glissandi, and movement up and down the horn’s register, this piece shows off just about every skill a horn player can possess, and it makes a great challenge for anyone looking to tackle such a satisfying work. Enjoy!
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