The development of the horn ensemble in the United States traces its roots back to the late 1950's. Hornists Max Pottag and Wendell Hoss brought with them from Germany a very rich tradition of horn ensemble performance. The Viennese for example have a rich tradition of an organization for hornists to come together, rehearse, and perform horn ensemble literature since 1860. Today, much of this literature, as well as contemporary Austrian literature, is becoming available through the auspices of the Wiener Waldhorn Verein.

Max Pottag was the second hornist of the Chicago Symphony and was also the Horn Professor at Northwestern University. At Northwestern, he formed an ensemble from his studio along with other hornists from the community. At that time, available literature was meager, consisting of arrangements of male quartets, Wagner transcriptions, and orchestral potpourris. His students who subsequently started organizations when they accepted orchestral and university positions inherited the enthusiasm for this ensemble as a venue for musical training.

Early performances of this ensemble occurred twice in the late 1950's at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic where Max Pottag conducted horn choir of around 90 members. The members consisted of present students, area professionals, alumni, and other collegiate choirs from across the country. The literature performed included arrangements of symphonic and vocal repertoire, which were expressly written for this event by Pottag. Pottag even encouraged his students to contribute arrangements for this ensemble.

The performances at the Midwest Clinic received outstanding acclaim. To the audience, the concerts were a revelation as to the expressive qualities and total range available of such an ensemble. The selections performed were entirely of quartet format. Today that legacy has grown. While there is a wealth of literature for quartet, there are increasing selections being written for 5-8 separate voices. There is even literature available that expands the ensemble to include the euphonium and tuba.

For recreation and camaraderie, various areas and regions of the country started forming horn clubs for the sharing of information and recreational performance. Early meetings consisted of reading orchestral passages and performing older European quartet literature. It was not until the 1960's that the educational and musical value of such an ensemble came to fruition. Two such pockets formed in Buffalo, New York and in Los Angeles, California.

The Buffalo Horn Club

Lowell Shaw, owner of the Hornet's Nest Publishing Company, was a student of Potage's at Northwestern University. In 1956 he won the Second Horn position in the Buffalo Symphony and a year later became Professor at the University of Buffalo. He shared Pottag's devotion of the horn choir as a training tool. He soon organized his collegiate students into a university horn choir. Soon area professionals and high school students began to attend these rehearsals thus establishing a larger organization, the Buffalo Horn Club. The club was primarily a recreational organization sharing information, reading ensemble literature, and giving occasional performances. Shaw loved composition and made arrangements to understand the compositional processes of the Masters. His interest in writing new works in a commercial vein came about through his directing the University of Buffalo Jazz Band. Knowing that he often wrote arrangements for this ensemble, his students requested that he add horn parts to his charts. As training material for learning this commercial style, he started writing a body of works known as Fripperies, which were a light-hearted introduction to the various musical styles found in jazz and commercial music. In the middle of the 1960's he started his publishing company, The Hornist's Nest, to keep up with the demand for requests for his horn ensemble arrangements. To date, over 5,000 copies of his first volume of Fripperies has been sold.

The Los Angeles Horn Club

In Los Angeles, 36 of the area's finest performers were organized in 1951 to present a horn choir concert similar to those given by Max Pottag in Chicago. This group was organized through the efforts of James Decker and Wendell Hoss and performed for the Music Educators National Conference at the Musician's Union Concert Hall in Hollywood. Max Pottag was the guest conductor.

As in Chicago, the audience response was positive. Thus, it gave the group the impetus to meet regularly. Initially, the players had weekly rehearsal and meeting session. The executive officers were Alfred Brain, Wendell Hoss, Arthur Franz, and James Decker.

The studio and free-lance hornists that were under contract to the various motion picture, radio, and recording studios were under the guidance of quota laws which prohibited them to perform in other studios with whom they did not have contracts. Thus, the formation of the Los Angeles Horn Club gave these players the opportunity to associate with other gifted hornists and to present regular concerts, which was a valuable aid for the performers to keep in shape.

The organization was a boon to film composers as well. Though the film composers were under contract to the studios, they often would agree to write original music for this ensemble to experiment with different sounds and textures. Not only were the hornists able to play first-rate music, but also now these composers were getting their music heard on a more frequent basis. The Horn Club agreed to copy the music and guarantee at least one performance of the submitted work.

During the 1950's the first solo recordings of horn music became available. Because of the marketing success of these novel solo recordings, the Artist and Research Producer for Capitol Records, Robert Meyers, contacted the group about the marketability of an album of ensemble music for horn. Through the efforts of Wendell Hoss, arrangements were made with several leading studio and film composers to create special arrangements and original music for the organization. In 1960 the project was completed and was a resounding success. Because of the interest in this project, another recording followed in 1970. Both recordings have since been re-released on compact disc on the EMI label.

The chief goal of the Los Angeles Horn Club was the creation of new music for the horn. This was to be accomplished through a series of national contests for composers. Since its inception, the Los Angeles Horn Club has accumulated a large amount of new music for large horn groups (eight or more players).

When contracts were ended in 1959 and the union voted quota laws out, many of the hornists became too busy to continue with the weekly meetings. This resulted in groups of amateur and professional hornists meeting to run through some of the vast amount of horn ensemble music written expressly for the Los Angeles Horn Club.

Until recently the music, which was on the two recordings, was under the control of the recording company. At present, the control of this has reverted back to the organization. Royalties are still being paid to the composers by the club.

Additional holdings are becoming available through composition contests sponsored by the group and unsolicited works arriving by budding composers. Those works which are highly considered are included in the library, entitled "The Wendell Hoss Memorial Library of the Los Angeles Horn Club." This body of work is stored in the horn studio at the University of Southern California. Efforts are underway to make this literature available by James Decker, Professor of Horn at the University of Southern California.

The Baltimore Horn Club

Leigh Martinet organized a horn club in the Baltimore area. Since the 1970's he has produced a large library of quality transcriptions for multiple horns. While his quartet arrangements are many, his transcriptions of six or more parts are particularly noteworthy for their scoring and colors.

The Baltimore Horn Club (BSO) was organized in the mid-1950's. The nucleus of this group was the hornists in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and other free-lance players. Leigh Martinet, a public school music teacher and free-lance hornist formed the group.

Martinet studied with Charles Lenuty, hornist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Jerry Knop of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He enlisted in the Air Force and was a member of the Air Force Band along with Arthur Berv, John Barrows, and Harry Shapiro.

At the time the Baltimore Horn Club was formed, publications for horn choirs were meager. The body of available works was those of quartets by Gumpert, Tcherepnine, and arrangements by Pottag. Since Martinet had always enjoyed arranging, he decided to produce new material for the group. The horn club met every other Friday as a venue for recreational playing and socialization. The membership was initially 16 members. Because of his efforts, Leigh was elected president of the organization.

Walter Lawson, the second hornist of the BSO, introduced Leigh to Lowell Shaw. It has been a long and profitable relationship. Shaw and Martinet exchanged arrangements and musical ideas. Shaw started publishing some of Martinet's arrangements. It was not long before Martinet started his own publishing house, The Baltimore Horn Club. To date there are 62 items in his catalogue, ranging from 2 to 8 voices.

Benefits of Developing a Horn Choir

Developing a solid horn section within the musical ensemble is contingent upon a cohesive blend of tone, intonation, and style. The horn's sound by its nature is warm, expressive, and capable of paralleling subtle nuances that is indicative of vocal music. To make this cohesive blend, regular performance of ensemble music is essential. When a regular regimen occurs in homogenous ensemble venues, several benefits will occur. These are 1) a unified tone, 2) improved intonation, 3) articulation variances 4) balance and blend.

A unified tonal concept will originate which will help the section gel into one composite tone. While individuals will retain their normal individual conception of sound, this will be somewhat tempered in order to blend in to a homogenous ensemble sound.

Greater precision of intonation will occur in tandem with attention to the ensemble blend. Unison and octave scales, lip slur patterns, and interval practice should be a part of the ensembles warm up. In addition to these arbitrary warm-ups, I recommend using Verne Reynolds' Intonation Exercises for Two Horns, which will work on intervalic intonation within the ensemble. This volume works extremely well for ensemble development, as well. The following examples are based from Mr. Reynolds' studies.

Such exercises would be unison melodic work to strive for a good homogenous sound, with particular care that individuals cannot be identified. A good rule of thumb is that if you cannot hear anyone else besides yourself, then the volume you are using is too loud. A simple unison blending study is to start on c or g and descend by half-steps, returning to the initial note prior to the next descent. Next, I recommend octave work. The operative point here is that the lower octave must predominate, as if the upper note is an overtone. This will aid intonation and balance. As in any ensemble, it is incumbent of the players to listen "down" through the ensemble. A combination of octaves and unisons is particularly useful. Short scale passages in octaves are ideal for this.

Harmonic and melodic intonation is more problematic. To make chords "ring" slight adjustments in tuning are necessary. The most common adjustments are that perfect fifths need to be raised slightly, major thirds are to be lowered, and minor thirds raised. While these adjustments are minute, persistent work will accustom the players to hearing these intervals in tune. Two part exercises can be done effectively for tuning perfect fourths, fifths, thirds, and sixths (ex. 1-3), or can be expanded to three or more voices (ex. 4). From this, short chorales may be beneficial to conclude the warm-up or intonation training procedure. Do not progress to the next chord until the intonation and balance of the chord is correct. Get students to identify the chord root. From this, get unisons and octaves of the root matching. Next, I recommend adding the fifth. When the "phantom third" is noticed, finally add the third of the chord. When entering, all players must be able to clearly discern the root of the chord.

This phenomenon of the "phantom" interval is a matter of acoustics, this being the presence of summation and difference tones. Without being overly technical, summation tones occur when the frequency level of both resonant tones combine to produce a phantom note, albeit soft. For example, if one pitch with a frequency of 220 cycles per second (cps) is sounded along with another at 330 cps, a summation tone (a very soft phantom note) of 550 cps may be noticed. Thus, if a perfectly in tune perfect fifth (or twelfth) is performed, a phantom major third will be noticed (ex. 5). Likewise, if a major sixth is perfectly balanced an in tune, a phantom tonic will be noticed (ex. 6). This ghost note represents the phenomenon of a difference tone. The difference between the lower note (330 cps) subtracted from the upper note (550 cps) results in a lower quasi-bass note of 220 cps. Thus, perfectly balanced and in tune ensembles will have added resonance and sound larger because of the additional sympathetic overtones. Conversely, poorly tuned ensembles will sound dull and closed. Thus, when working with chorales it may be beneficial to work with pairs of parts before putting everything together. The Treasury of Scales, published by Belwin is an excellent source for tuning and blend. If you get all four horn books, you will have complete four part chorales representing all major and minor tonalities.

Articulation clarity and subtle adjustments will also be essential to address. The horn ensemble, by its nature, is a thick texture and precision in articulation styles will be necessary. To develop a clear and cutting articulation, usually the hornist will need to slow the release of the tongue slightly in order to get a better "bead" to the beginning of the note. Also, specialized articulation techniques such as "backend" tonguing may need to be addressed in fast staccato passages that require punch for clarity and projection.

To work on articulation, I would recommend using any of the vast articulation studies out of the first book of Kopprasch's 60 etudes. For advanced players, performing these articulation studies down an octave is especially advantageous as the lower range of the horn tends to be unresponsive. Players will notice that to match articulation and length of upper octave notes, they will need to play these lower octave notes with more punctuation and detachment. Thus, playing such exercises in unison and in octaves would be of particular benefit. Recommended articulation studies are numbers 2, 3, and 4. One may also do these with optional slurs, depending on the conductors whim. Other recommended exercises could be 6, 8, 9, and 10. The first three are particularly useful if also performed without slurs.

To get fast crisp staccatos, especially in the lower octave, I recommend that hornists use a tonguing style called "backend tonguing." This is done in very fast passages when a very clean articulation is desired. Initially, I will have the student slur the passage. This not only works with the air flow, but also develops finger rhythm and timing. The flow of the air and the correct timing of the fingers is essential in fast, technical passages. Once the flow and timing have been established, the tongue can be used. With backend tonguing, the release of the tongue is very deliberate, thus making the note pop out of the instrument. If the air is constantly moving, then the slight deliberation of the tongue release causes the air momentarily blocked by the repositioning of the tongue to be more clearly enunciated into the instrument. Thus, by slowing down the release of the tongue, one will play with a more marked articulation. Conversely, if a more legato release is desired, then the release will need to be more swift, as if one tests a hot iron by putting a drop of water on the finger and gently touching the irons surface.

The danger will "backend tonguing" is that the tongue must stay in the down position until the last split second when it repositions itself for the next release. Thus, the result is a fat "chunk" of sound (ex. 7). In negotiating this technique, it is best to use a lower tongue position in where the tip of the tongue can barely feel the bottom edge of the top teeth.

However, a word of caution is advised, being that if the tongue rises too soon, either a scooping sound "toit" will be noticed, or else there will be more silence rather than tone on the desired pitches (ex. 8). This is why I recommend slurring when working on fast, technical passages. When the air and the fingers are working perfectly in tandem, one then only needs to put the tongue in play and letting the fingers lead the technique. The desired release depends on the style of the passage. The aggressive sound of "backend tonguing" is a special articulation and should be reserved for specific passages. I have heard this technique used many times out of context, so a cautionary word to directors is advisable.

To prelude this technique one could use several exercises. The first exercise (ex. 8) could be used as a prelude to scale work. The second exercise (ex. 9) works with several styles of articulation. The first scale sequence should be ultra-legato with a large, sonorous tone. After a quick breath, a normal articulation at the softer dynamic is done. Finally, after a small catch-breath, the soft passage is done with back-end tonguing, creating a very clean articulation. This can be done in ascending or descending half-step increments to facilitate key development.

Balance problems may occur with poor ensemble seating. If the ensemble is small set them in the following configurations either in a straight line or a slight arc. At all costs, avoid set-ups with bells facing in a mixture of facing to and away from the audience. With respect to the later two examples of block seating, the ensemble should face the audience. The first chair may still lead visually and can hear the second pair of horns clearly. This same set-up can work with a 6-member ensemble.

4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 4 3 4 3
straight arched 2 1 2 1
boxed staggared

If working with 8 or more horns, I recommend a dual line format as opposed to one single line stretched across the stage. This avoids the problem of having a mixture of timbres because of a lack of uniformity in bell projection. Seating assignments may be derived from looking at the score and having like or similar parts seated one behind the other for security, intonation, and balance. If in an antiphonal format, it may be beneficial to have the choirs separated and seated in a mirror image so that the high horns are towards the center and the low horns located on the outside.

8 7 6 5 8 7 4 3 4 3 6 8
4 3 2 1 6 5 2 1 2 1 5 7
Choir 1 Choir 2

Performing ensemble music for horn is not only educational but is also fun. Horn ensemble music expands the range demands of the instrument, and illustrates to the student the powerfully expressive and heroic quality of the instrument. It also is an effective recruitment tool.

I have included an annotated guide to horn ensemble literature for the public school horn section. This list is by no means inclusive, but will be a good reference to put your students. The majority of horn ensemble music is available from these publishers:

Baltimore Horn Club-7 Chapel Ct., Baltimore, MD 21093
Hornist's Nest-Box 253, Buffalo, NY 14226-0253
Southern Music 1-800-284-5443 A Moll Dur-P.O. Box 2258, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Los Angeles Horn Club-Wendell Hoss Memorial Library, USC, School of Music, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0851
Medici Press-P.O. Box 932, Lemars, IA 51031
Vienna Waldhorn Verein-Wiener Waldhorn Verein, Florianigaße 70/8, A 1080
Wien Hans Pizka Edition-D-8011 Kirchheim, Munich, Germany-Website: www.pizka.de
Thompson Editions-231 Plantation Rd., Rock Hill, SC 29732-9441 Robert King Music Sales-140 Main St., North Easton, MA 02356
Email: commerce@rkingmusic.com Website: www.rkingmusic.com

In the list, middle c is c, third space treble c is c1, second space bass c is C.

HORN QUARTETS

Grade 2
Quarto for Horns by Acton Ostling
Published by Belwin-Mills. Range demands: Horn 1, up to d1; Horn 4, down to bb This is an ABA designed work, which keeps all horns in a medium range. The first horn has the primary lead, but all parts have important moments. The A section includes short passages of 16th notes for the upper three horns. The B section is a little march, which features the accompaniment figure of staccato quarters. This is a safe initial venture in quartet literature for a middle school ensemble.

Pottag Quartet Album by Max Pottag
Published by Belwin-Mills. Range demands: Horn 1, up to f1; Horn 4, down to C This album consists of 24 short arrangement of classical transcriptions, German folk songs, and American patriotic tunes. All parts are written in score format. There are selections of varying difficulty, but well within the capabilities of second and third year students. Most arrangements are fully scored with block rhythmic movement in the majority of the selections. Though not overly imaginative, these selections are functional for students of limited ability.

Three Short Pieces by A. O. Lively
Published by Southern Music. Range demands: Horn 1, up to g1. Horn 4, down to F The three movements are short arrangements of familiar tunes: I Aura Lee II Greensleeves III America, the Beautiful. All movements are scored in a full homophonic texture with the first horn receiving all the melodic material. The fourth horn part is surprisingly low, even though it is written in treble clef. The many ledger lines may confuse the young hornist. Also, the director will need to make sure the hornist can correctly negotiate this part with good control and tone to support the rest of the ensemble. All the arrangements work well. The setting of Greensleeves sets a bipart scoring of the ensemble into a duet with two-part accompaniment. America the Beautiful features two verses with differing accompaniment styles which adds listener interest. I find this to be a very solid collection of music for the younger horn section.

Grade 3

Canzona by Fiorenzo Maschera.
Transcribed by Ronald Dishinger. Published by Medici Music. Range demands: Horn 1, up to g2, Horn 4, down to E A very fine adaptation of a 16th Century work. All the horn parts are written in treble clef with a modest range. Four performers of equal ability are required as all parts are composed on an equal footing. While the range is modest, the independence of parts may pose a problem for insecure players. This selection would work well with doubled parts.

Cornocopia by Earl Hoffman.
Published by Southern Music. Range demands: Horn 1, up to g1. Horn 4, down to Bb. A three movement work in which all the movements are in a somewhat moderate pulse, but with distinctly different styles. The first movement features strings of passed eighth notes within the ensemble. Short solo passages are written for every part, but the main brunt of solo material is in the first part. The second movement, in triple meter, features more ensemble movement in a homophonic texture. The middle section varies texture from 4 to 3 parts occasionally. The last movement is a syncopated chasse with accents and rests thrown in for interest. The fourth part is decidedly independent in this movement. Lots of variety and interest is included in this work. All parts are written in treble clef.

Folk Song Suite arranged by Louis Stout and edited by Christopher Leuba Published by Southern Music.
Range demands: Horn 1, up to a2; Horn 4 down to Bb This suite consists of four short movements of moderate technical facility. The second and fourth horn parts are written moving in treble and bass clef which makes this a good training piece. Alternate parts are written entirely in treble clef as well. It is possible that all movements could be performed at contest. The movement titles are 1) The Cuckoo, 2) Oh! Pretty Maid, 3) Rule Britannia, 4) Gum Tree Canoe All movements are pleasing, written for the full ensemble, but with enough rhythmic interest to satisfy the audience as well as performer.

Four Little Pieces by Rudolph Mayer.
Published by Southern Music. Range demands: Horn 1, up to g1, Horn 4, down to F This is a delightful quartet in four contrasting short movements. All parts are written in treble clef with minimal range demands. The scoring is clever in that there are dialogues for contrasting groups of horns going from the full voiced ensemble to very short solo segments. This is an extremely well written and conceived work for hornists of all ages. The ensemble lead is passed throughout the ensemble. I highly recommend this work.

Quartet for Horns by Max Pottag
Published by Belwin-Mills. Range demands: Horn 1, up to g1; Horn 4, down to C Pottag bases this quartet on opera leitmotifs by Richard Wagner. This older selection is one of the earlier quartet transcriptions available in the U.S. The difficulty of this selection is the sudden changes of mood and tempo. The pastiche approach seems very disjointed at times, therefore a conductor, especially in the reading and rehearsing stages is essential. Perhaps this would be better suited to an octet format. All parts are written in treble clef throughout. A familiarity with music from Der Ring Des Niebelungen would be essential.

Quartet Repertoire by various composers
Published by Rubank. Range demands: Horn 1, up to g1; Horn 4, down to D This collection features a variety of original quartet literature and transcriptions of vocal works by well-known composers. Safely scored, this collection is uneven with respect to difficulty, which makes it flexible for use in the middle school as well as the high school. The first part has the primary lead in each quartet, however the full quartet scoring shows imagination in texture and counterpoint. Key usage is safe and accessible to all levels. A good one volume collection to have in one's school library.

Hunter's Delight by Reid Poole
Published by Belwin-Mills. Range demands: Horn 1, up to f1; Horn 4, down to F A 6/8 hunting-type of selection in an ABA format. The first horn has the primary material, which is accompanied by the rest of the ensemble. There is some independence in the fourth horn part, which helps fill in the gaps and creates more listener interest. The fourth part is written in treble clef throughout. This is good training for young hornists to play an accessible work in compound meter.

Suite for Four Horns by Frances H. McKay
Published by Barnhouse. Range demands: Horn 1, up to g1, Horn 4 down to Db A five movement selection, this is a very consistent and well-written selection. Younger players may be somewhat challenged by some of the part independence, but the scoring does not get unnecessarily complex. The scoring stays full throughout each movement. All parts are written in treble clef, which makes it accessible to all horn sections. Some coaching or directing the ensemble through tempo changes would be desirable to train younger players on how to lead a small ensemble. The first horn is the primary lead voice in each movement.

Solemn Music for Four Horns, by Hermann Jeurissen
Published by McCoy's Horn Library. Range demands: Horn 1 to b-flat1; Horn 4 to D This is a collection of four slow movements by various 19th Century composers. The quartet writing is very conservative, being mostly in block movement. Range demands are of greatest concern in the first two movements, but should not pose much of a problem after locating these few extended pitches. The 4th Horn reads bass clef in three of the movements. This is good ensemble training material for larger horn sections.

Allegro, by Joseph Haydn; arranged by C. M. Jensen
Published by Fema Music. Range demands: Horn 1 to a2; Horn 4 to f This is a transcription of a finale movement to one of Haydn's early string quartets. This requires a light, florid approach by the horn section. The juxtaposition of independent and ensemble passages is essential. As the piece progresses each voice receives running 16th note assignments that dovetail from voice to voice. This is good material with which to work metrical precision. This movement is about two minutes in duration, but much substance is included in this short span.

Grade 4

Divertimento No. 8, K. 213 by W. A. Mozart.
Arranged by Marvin C. Howe Published by Southern Music. Range demands: Horn 1, up to c2; Horn 4, down to F1 A four-movement format, this selection features a variety of wonderful music. The fourth horn part is written in bass clef throughout. The first movement contains much internal dialogue within the ensemble. The second movement that features long, flowing lines, looks more difficult than it is. In 2/4 time with an andante tempo, the pulse should be the eighth note. Attention will need to be made to the correct execution of trills and graces in the third movement minuet. The finale, a jaunty contradance, will need to move quickly to bring off the style. The parts are independent of one another, but only for shorter periods of time. A light, string-like approach on articulation will best suit this work. This is a very good transcription.

Four Canzoni transcribed by James Lee.
Published by the Hornist's Nest. Range demands: Horn 1, up to a2, Horn 4 down to C This is a high quality transcription of late Renaissance instrumental music. These pieces are extremely effective and are challenging because of the independence of parts. Though the four individual movements are short, a few movements would prove challenging to the average high school student. This selection is also effective in a large ensemble format of doubled parts, which would establish balance and continuity of style because of the constant imitative polyphony. Also, these are good textbook examples to illustrate compositional techniques of this era.

Quartet in B-Flat by Leopold Mêchura
Published by Musica Rara. Range demands: Horn 1, up to f1, Horn 4 down to Bb This selection could be graded easier if the fourth horn part wasn't exclusively written in old notation bass clef. A four movement format, this selection features full chordal scoring throughout which creates a large tonal base. This work is scored safely with many moving passages in block rhythms. The movements are of short duration, which eliminates endurance problems. This is a good contest selection.

Six Quartets by Franz Schubert arranged by Verne Reynolds Published by Southern Music.
Range demands: Horn 1 to f1; Horn 4 down to Eb Tuneful, fully scored quartets, which is good for working on balance, tuning, and control. All parts are written in treble clef. Some of the phrases are long winded, especially in the slower movements. While the parts do not look difficult, in performance the blend and rhythmic precision of the slower movements will need some maturity in the ensemble.

Six Quartets by Robert Schumann arranged by Verne Reynolds Published by Southern Music.
Range demands: Horn 1, up to g#1; Horn 4, down to D# These are very accessible and well-written quartets from Schumann's vocal and string literature. All parts are written in treble clef. There are selections of varying difficulty with full scoring being the norm. The lead rests primarily in the first part throughout. The third selection is the most extended with various meters and tempo changes, which may make initial readings difficult for high school players. Several movements of shorter duration would be appropriate for contests.

Six Pieces by Nicolas Tcherepnine.
Revised and edited by Quinto Maganini. Published by Edition Musicus. Range demands: Horn 1, up to a2; Horn 4, down to G2 These pieces are of varying difficulty, but as a whole, the entire collection is of a moderately difficult level. The selections are wonderfully written with many colors and a variety of styles. The movements are 1) Night- an extremely beautiful, quiet melody with expressive harmonies, 2) An Old German Song-features paired horns, trio texture, then full ensemble with an extended low 4th horn foundation, 3) The Hunt-a rollicking tour-de-force for the ensemble with an obbligato first horn call over a hunting horn trio. This particular movement is excellent for concert or contest. 4) Dancers-written in triple compound meter, the many sycopations and short note accompaniment passages may be difficult for less experienced students. 5) A Popular Song-an eight-bar melody scored various ways to hold the listener's interest. 6) Chorale-a slow chordal movement that is more difficult than it looks. The players must exhibit good control, intonation, and balance. When the bass clef is used in the fourth horn, it is always written in old notation, which appears down an octave from the actual note performed.

88 German Quartets, Edited by Thomas Bacon
Published by Southern Music. Range demands: Horn 1 to g1, Horn 4 to G

An outstanding collection of short to moderate length quartets consisting of folk tunes, marches, opera excerpts, and various chorale settings. These quartets are as grateful to the audience as they are to the performer. The Horn 4 book is written entirely in bass clef using old notation; written down an octave lower than performed. This may be daunting for the high school hornist, but those with youth orchestra experience should be able to rise to the challenge. This is an invaluable collection for the public school and collegiate horn section. However, the scoring is predictable as the first horn almost always gets the melody.

Music for the Royal Fireworks, by G.F. Handel. Arranged by Leigh Martinet

Published by Baltimore Horn Club. Range considerations: Horn 1 to a2; Horn 4 to G This is a lengthy, 5-movement transcription is difficult in terms of endurance. Because of this and the range required, it is advisable to use doubled parts. The 4th Horn part is almost exclusively written in bass clef. For hornists who are not familiar with this material, it would be advantageous for them to listen to a recording of the original. Use of a conductor will be required in the beginning stages of preparation. For an outstanding high school horn section, this work is well worth the effort.

Grade 5

Concertino by Alexander Mitushin.
Edited by Christopher Leuba. Published by Southern Music. Range demands: Horn 1, up to c2, Horn 4, down to A This is a three-movement work based on a central two-bar motive, which is transformed within each movement. This is a wonderful and exciting work, which requires four solid players. This has been included on repertoire lists of quartet competitions. The scoring in the first movement varies between block movement, simple homophonic texture, pairing of voices, solo sections, and imitation. The second movement is brief and is the most accessible. This movement features the only foray into the bass clef for the fourth horn. The last movement features brilliant sixteenth-note passages for the ensemble. Ensemble intricacies abound with the passing about of short note figures. In my opinion, this selection is among the best available for this medium.

Cortettes by David Stanhope
Published by the Hornist's Nest. Range demands: Horn 1, up to d2; Horn 4, down to F1 Eight short, but difficult quartets, which feature new twists on symphonic literature. Expressly tongue-in-cheek, these humorous selections require advanced technique from all members of the ensemble. The ability to go from open to stopped horn quickly is a must. Sacrilege is committed upon Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner, Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss, Tschaikowsky, and Berlioz. Awkward modulations, syncopations, and superimposition of themes abound. Much of the fourth part and a little of the second part are written in bass clef. Knowledge of the original literature is essential. If you wish to challenge four exceptional hornists, this is the selection for you!

Four Quartets arranged by Lowell Shaw
Published by the Hornist's nest. Range demands: Horn 1, up to b-flat2; Horn 4, down to F# This collection perhaps could be graded easier, but the transcription of the Allegro Pizzicato movement from Tschaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 is very difficult. In all the arrangements the fourth hornist will need to have agility. Also the majority of the 4th part is written in bass clef. Handel's "Blessing and Honor" from the Messiah receives a good treatment. It is essential to keep the technique light and bouncy as well as keeping the dynamic level under control. The fugal entrances will need attention for balance purposes. This is very good training material.

Fripperies (vol. 1) by Lowell Shaw
Published by the Hornist's Nest. Range demands: Horn 1, up to g1; Horn 4, down to A The first of a set of 9 volumes, Lowell Shaw has given hornists a wide variety of wonderful and fun music to play. All selections are of good humor, demanding technique, and written in a variety of commercial styles which are so important to master as a free lance artist. All volumes include 4 different selections with performance/rehearsal notes included on the inside cover. The fourth horn especially needs to be fluent with bass clef. The remaining parts may go to bass clef for shorter durations. The lead is passed around to all members of the ensemble. Usually the fourth horn is the bass foundation in most selections; thus a strong player on this part is essential. Some of these selections could be included in the grade 6 category. No. 1 is written in an easy swing style. The players must use swing (uneven) eighths and pay attention to accents and carets as written in commercial style music. No. 2 is a tongue-in-cheek arrangement of The Sailor's Hornpipe in a very brisk tempo, which passes streams of eighth notes among the ensemble. A fugewhich develops is difficult to keep going. A light technique is required. No. 3 is an unpretentious lilting waltz. It is essential that all dynamics and articulations be kept on the down side. No. 4 is a "spooky" little march in minor, which breaks open in the B section to a swing feel. The piece concludes very softly with short notes as if the parade has passed by.

Hubertus-Serenade, by Bernhard Krol
Published by Bote and Bock. Range considerations: Horn 1 to g1; Horn 4 to c Krol writes consistently well for the horn; this piece being no exception. This three-movement work features all the four voices in presenting primary material. The ranges are reasonable, however more mature players will find the outer movements especially challenging with respect to the frequent tempo changes and the interchange of melodic material within the entire group. The fourth horn stays in treble clef throughout this piece, which may make for awkward reading of the lower pitches. This is a work of high quality for quartet or large ensemble format.

Partita by Karl Etti
Published by Doblinger. Range demands: Horn 1 to b-flat2; Horn 4 to F This is a rather substantial piece, written in five movements. For high school contest several movements can be used due to the brevity of the selections. Successive movements have increased difficulty. Bass clef writing is in old notation. The Intrada features a juxtaposition of fanfare figures and free cantabile solo horn passages. The Scherzo is a driving, fast-paced movement requiring light, crisp staccatos in the outer sections that frame a central chasse-style trio. The Cantilena is in 3/8 and features a cantabile solo horn over a stream of arpeggiated sixteenth-note figures. Some solo material gets passed to other voices. The Gavotte requires a light and bouncy technique from the entire ensemble. The fourth horn is given an independent reign in certain sections. The concluding Fugue features fast tempo sixteenth-note passages in all parts. Dovetailing of technical figures present a phasing problem to the ensemble. This lengthy movement requires superior sense of rhythmic skills and concentration.

Grade 6

Overture to The Magic Flute by W. A. Mozart. Trans. By H. Dutschke. Edited by Ralph Lockwood. Published by the Hornist's Nest. Range demands: Horn 1, up to g1; Horn 4, down to B. This exciting quartet requires four strong hornists of good stamina for a successful performance. It works best when two or more players are assigned to the parts. The dramatic opening chords that precede the exposition and development section need precision cueing and timing. Balance and clarity of line are problematic throughout, especially in fugal sections and multi-thematic imitative passages. Endurance is a definite factor for public school and some collegiate hornists. Attention to dynamic contrasts is essential for a successful performance. This is one of the landmark transcriptions for this medium.

Overture to The Marriage of Figaro by W. A. Mozart.
Arranged by Kerry Turner. Published by Raddi's Prints. Range demands: Horn 1 up to c2; Horn 4, down to F1. This is a very demanding arrangement for four voices. The first horn part has minimal rests and a high tessitura. All parts contain very fast valve work, thus necessitating a very light approach to this transcription. A better solution for performance would be to assign multiple players to these parts to assist/substitute on background passages. The fourth hornist will need a clear articulation in the bass clef to provide rhythmic stability for the ensemble for a successful performance.

Suite for 4 Horns, by Albert Ingalls
Published by A Moll Dur (sole agent: Hans Pizka Edition). Range demands: Horn 1 to b-flat2; Horn 4 to G. This is in a three-movement format, moderate-slow-fast. The individual parts have much independence. Ingalls uses effective color by the transparent scoring and the free use of fiber and brass (stop) mutes. The first movement features much imitative dialogue with all voices sharing the statement of primary material. Changes of meter keep the music flow interesting even though the first movement is of substantial length. The second movement is very slow, taxing all performers tonal and breath control. The middle section, in 6/4 time may hinder less advanced players unless a conductor is used. The bottom two horns combine to form an ostinato pattern and the remaining voices continue to add to the texture with accumulating activity. The ternary form of the movement ends as it begins. The third movement is to be taken at a blistering pace. Written in 9/8, this movement requires crispy delineated short note passages. Instances of block syncopated rhythms add surprising impact. This is perpetual motion type of movement where the driving eighth notes propel the ensemble. Strong hornists will enjoy this work. Because of the colors and tuning problems, this work would be most effective if not doubled.

The majority of material for the body of this article came from conversations with Lowell Shaw, Leigh Martinet, and James Decker. Other material came from the Los Angeles Horn Club website and the Vienna Waldhorn Verein Newsletter.

Dr. Eldon Mtlick