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The transition era from the natural horn to the valved horn is a fascinating one. Perhaps the clearest way to understand the basic issues at work is to focus on the natural horn writing of three major composers in this transition era, Beethoven (whose Sonata was just briefly examined in the previous installment of the University of Horn Matters series), Schubert, and Brahms.
The serious topic of aesthetics and the hand horn
Before looking at the music for today, there is first a question of aesthetics to consider. Dauprat in his Method (published in 1824, a massive publication) gets at the idea that shifts of tonal color from open notes to stopped notes was to be desired and gave important shades and nuances to the sound of the horn. His comments may be read in the brief article linked below in Horn Articles Online:
Links related to Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms
Long articles specifically related to Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms are also to be found in Horn Articles Online and will be considered to be required reading for those following the University of Horn Matters series in full.
- E. C. Lewy and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9
- Schubert and the Lewy Brothers
- Brahms and the Orchestral Horn
Question older sources and conventional wisdom on horn history
In all three of these articles there is a bigger picture to see, and that is that there is an older literature on horn history that says some sketchy things on all three of these composers that modern students of horn history need to keep clear. In short they would be:
- Beethoven 9 is rumored to have been for valved horn but that is not the case, it is natural horn writing even if the first player to perform it was a valved horn pioneer,
- Schubert did not compose Auf dem Strom for valved horn either; it is still natural horn writing even if associated with the brother of the same valved horn pioneer associated with Beethoven 9, and
- Brahms wrote all his horn parts for natural horn, there is no indication at all that he was thinking of sections split between natural and valved horns in any way, natural horn writing for him was to maintain traditions as part of an anti-Wagner stance
As to major natural horn players and teachers of the time, in terms of today certainly the best known is Jacques-François Gallay (1795-1864), as several volumes of his etudes have become standards. This image is from his Method. For an introduction to Gallay and one of his best known publications please read:
In honor of Gallay, the featured horn image is a horn of his time, Halari as copied by Richard Seraphinoff.
The nineteenth century was a transition era; it took us from the natural horn with no valves to the double horn! We will have more on that era in the next installment of the University of Horn Matters.
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