Archived under: Auditions, Reviews, Technology & Digital Culture | Excerpts
Review: HornExcerpts.org
A review of hornexcerpts.org.
A number of visitors either find this blog by Googling for “horn excerpts” or when here, look for excerpts using the search engine at top. I am not sure why this is; while I do have a few posts on excerpts (and plan to do more), there isn’t much here yet on that subject.
Purchasing bound collections of complete orchestral parts – such as the highly-recommended and comprehensive Thompson edition, The Orchestral Audition Repertoire for Horn – and taking lessons from a reputable teacher is of course the preferred (and proven) method for success.
However, if you just want to get your feet wet, Daren Robbins’ site HornExcerpts.org is a resource worth investigating.
Averaging about 400 unique visitors on a daily basis, it includes 46 of the most frequently requested orchestral excerpts. A very nice feature of this site is that 2-3 audio file samples are provided for each excerpt. Relevant links to the Apple iTunes store are also included for those looking to purchase complete recordings of the compositions excerpted.
Another outstanding feature of this site is that all the excerpts are extracted from real parts and are not recreated in another medium, such as in hand-written manuscript or rendered in Finale. While there may still be some Urtext issues with certain orchestral editions, overall, publishing excerpts in this manner reduces the chance of mistakes and typos (such as in the infamous three-volume Pottag excerpt series, which should be avoided at all costs).
Of course for serious students, the ultimate goal is to purchase and study from complete orchestral parts in order to gain a comprehensive knowledge of orchestral repertoire. But in temporary instances or for curious amateurs and “semi-pros,” HornExcerpts.org is an incredible resource to take advantage of.
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