Toward a Pedagogy of Extended Techniques For Horn Derived From Vincent Persichetti’s Parable for Solo Horn, Op. 120

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Etudes on Extended Techniques for Horn, Extended Techniques for Horn, Horn Dissertations, the Oil Valley Hornist, Vincent Persichetti Parable VIII for Solo Horn Opus 120

Toward a Pedagogy of Extended Techniques For Horn Derived From Vincent Persichetti’s Parable for Solo Horn, Op. 120 is a doctor of philosophy dissertation in fine arts by Carol Jean Deats written in 2001. Simply put, the dissertation was written to address a lack of information and study material for the many extended techniques for the horn found in 20th and 21st century music. Dr. Deats chose the Persichetti Parable as a foundation because it is a well-known piece which also contains a large number of extended techniques.

In the dissertation, Dr. Deats states that in her earlier studies, trial and error was typically the only method available for learning extended techniques. Since then, some research materials, such as Douglas Hill’s Extended Techniques for the Horn, have been written to fill a much needed void, but still fall short due to the fact the this book and those like it are not etude books, nor are meant to be. She then states that extended techniques do not come as naturally to hornists as more traditional techniques but that they would be if there existed approachable and practical etudes and study material which could be reviewed daily.

While the dissertation includes a list of books, solos, and other material for further research, a section about unaccompanied horn solos, definitions and explanation of extended techniques, there are 30 pages of etudes and transcriptions which cover specific techniques which will likely be the most practical and beneficial to the hornist. The etudes cover high register, low register, stopped horn, echo horn, right hand glissandi, various articulations, extended releases (breath control), multiple tonguing, flutter tonguing, trills, glissandi, and timbral contrasts.

The full text is available online and can be found here: pdf.

Vincent Persichetti’s Parables were a series of 25 compositions mostly for unaccompanied solo instruments, though a few were for multiple instruments and Parable XX was a one act opera. The Parable VIII for Solo Horn, Op. 120 has some Christian themes; the title ‘Parable’ comes from the allegorical stories taught by Jesus Christ, and part of the melody is taken from Persichetti’s own Seventh Symphony (Liturgical) based on the Nicene Creed, a Christian profession of faith. The Parable includes stopped horn, echo horn, glissandi, flutter tongue (over stopped horn), and trills as well as varied timbral styles and articulations.

The following is a performance of Vincent Persichetti’s Parable for Solo Horn, Op. 120 by horn virtuoso Eric Ruske.

A Faithful Servant

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Humes and Berg Stone Lined Horn Mute, the Oil Valley Hornist

A week and a half ago at an orchestra rehearsal, I set my straight mute down and heard a noise much louder than expected. I looked at the mute and found that the inner column of the mute had fallen apart. The mute, a Humes & Berg stone lined mute, is made of two parts, a thin outer section and a thick inner column which are glued together. Upon further inspection, the glue which held the two parts together had become dried out and cracked, allowing the inner column to fall out. This mute had served me for around two hundred concerts over the course of nearly ten years.

I tried using the mute (after rehearsal) to see what it would sound like without the inner column. It is more responsive, especially in the lower range, but with a lower quality of sound. Some musicians I know do not care for the stone lined mute because of its already dull sound, especially when compared to aluminum or copper mutes, but it is hard to argue with the durability of the mute and its relatively low price. I’ve decided to keep the mute as is, because it now has a unique sound quality and speaks fairly well in the low range, even an octave or so below middle C where most mutes barely sound at all. I won’t be bringing it to an orchestra rehearsal anytime soon but I certainly could use it for some jazz playing as a special effect.

Radek Baborák performing the August Kiel Concerto for Horn

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August Kiel Horn Concerto, Radek Baborák

The August Kiel Concerto for Horn in F, Op. 23, is a little known Romantic era work. Despite the high level of difficulty presented by the work, Czech virtuoso Radek Baborák performs this fine work with an incredible lightness and grace. This was recorded live at the 1994 ARD Competition in Munich.

1st Movement: Allegro Appassionato

2nd Movement: Larghetto con Moto

3rd Movement: Rondo Allegretto

New Resource: A Microtonal Fingering Chart for Horn

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Microtonal Fingering Chart for Horn, Microtonal Horn Music, the Oil Valley Hornist

Finished a hyper-chromatic/microtonal fingering chart for horn in F/B-flat which is now available over at the download page. This chart shows the many naturally occuring microtonal possibilities created by alternate fingerings. Any hornist who is performing a microtonal piece or composer who wishes to write microtonal music for the horn will find this useful.

Microtonal Fingering Chart: PDF.

Adventures from the Pit

Pit Orchestra, that is. The Barrow-Civic Theatre in Franklin, Pennsylvania is putting on a production of the musical Les Misérables starting this evening. The show will run for the next two weeks, with shows each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with a matinee each Sunday. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the Theatre’s webpage: here.

This is the first time I have ever had the opportunity to play in the orchestra for Les Misérables and I am looking forward to the great music in this show. The Horn I part is challenging, certainly for endurance because the show is three hours long, with little in the way of rest for the horn. But the music is beautiful, the message is powerful, and everyone involved has worked very hard. So if you live around Franklin, please come and support this production of Les Mis!