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Jacques-François Gallay (1795-1864) wrote many great horn etudes that are certainly worthy of use by modern horn players. Standard, published versions are available, but alternate editions can shed new light on how to use them practically today.
A great example of an alternate edition is to be found in the public domain PDF featured today, Gallay etudes extracted from Volume IV the Große theortisch-praktische Horn-Schule of Josef Schantl (1842-1902). Originally published in 1903, the best known portion today is Volume III, which was reprinted in 1941 in abridged form as Preparatory Melodies to Solo Work, edited by Max P. Pottag. The primary focus of Volume IV is transposition, and included for purposes of that study is a rather heavily edited edition of 51 of the Op. 6 etudes and 13 of the Op. 5 etudes of Kopprasch.
With them are found these 11 etudes by Gallay, which are also rather heavily edited but perhaps better suited to the needs of valved horn players than are the original versions, especially with the suggestions for transpositions and many alterations of dynamic and nuance.
In this PDF edition I have rearranged the order slightly to fit the page layout but otherwise they are unmodified. The numbers are those given by Schantl. Also there are a few blank areas due to the layout and focusing only on the Gallay etudes from the Horn-Schule.
The PDF of this public domain music may be accessed from our PDF download library or from the link below:
Josef Schantl is not that well known today, but was a major teacher and player of the late nineteenth century. He was a Principal Horn of the Imperial and Royal Court Opera and the Vienna Philharmonic, and has been credited with founding the Vienna Waldhornverein. Among many significant performances he performed on the premieres of Brahms second and third Symphonies and also the third and eighth Symphonies of Anton Bruckner.
To close, I have enjoyed putting together the recent series of Gallay PDF publications. I find Gallay had a melodic gift and really was aspiring in these to reach a higher level as a composer than most of his contemporaries who composed etudes. If you have never explored Gallay, this packet is a great place to start.
