SubCategory Archive (tags): ‘Opera’
See the complete archive.Rehearsing for an Opera
For a player new to the world of opera, opera rehearsals can feel a little foreign. The music can go on for long periods – not unlike in Mahler or Bruckner symphonies. Tempos can suddenly shift and change every 2 or 3 measures. You really have to stay on your toes. The progression of rehearsals [...]
An Interpretive Approach to Siegfried’s Horn Call
A good place to start when studying the horn calls from Siegfried or the Rhine Journey is within the character of Siegfried himself. The Ring and its roots in Nordic mythology are a huge interpretive resource. Building this story in your mind — whether it be for an audition, an orchestral performance or in …
Forging the Sword; The End of ‘Siegfried’ Act I
Even with the Long Call aside, playing principal horn in Wagner’s horn-tastic opera Siegfried is nothing short of a Herculean task. To help reinforce and illustrate that notion, today’s article features a few samples from Siegfried, Act I/Scene III. Scene III begins with the hero Siegfried becoming persuaded then determined to reconstruct Nothung, a mythical [...]
Slaying the Dragon; Before & After the Siegfried Horn Call
For the French horn player, there is lots of fun playing to do in the opera Siegfried from Wagner’s Ring Cycle. This composition, in my opinion, should always rank high in any hypothetical list of top classical compositions for French horn. Of course for starters, there is the famous Long Call in Act II of [...]
Poll: Siegfried Horn Calls
When searching on YouTube or Google for the famous Siegfried Horn Call, three performers consistently show up: Hans Pizka Annamia Larsson Helene Tomböck Which is your favorite? Vote on your favorite below in this completely unscientific and anonymous poll. In other words, this is just for giggles. For RSS readers, this post will only work [...]
We are Number One
As the year ends a thank you to the folks at The Mellocast, who awarded Horn Matters the top ranking among the “top 5 most significant events in the Middle Brass world” for 2009. Check out their podcast (episode 101!) and the full list of the top 5 for 2009 at http://www.mellocast.com/
Orchestra 101: The Money Question
Early in this series I was asked the question how much money can you make playing in an orchestra? Players in top orchestras do pretty well. There is in every orchestra contract an amount specified that is the minimum annual salary. The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra has the highest minimum salary and all of the following [...]
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