Tuesday 25th June, 2024
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) Morceau de Concert in F minor, Op. 94 for Horn and Piano
At the time Morceau de Concert was composed (1887), the French Horn was just acquiring acceptance of its valve mechanism after the first valved horn was introduced to France in 1839 without much enthusiasm. As such Saint-Saëns set out to stretch this feature as far as possible, a challenge accepted by the first performer and dedicatee Henri Chaussier in 1891 using a now obsolete variant of valved horn known as the Cor Chaussier. The work remains a technically challenging and popular single movement piece even to this day
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) Élégie for Horn and Piano (In Memory of Dennis Brain), FP 168
Dennis Brain (1921-1957) was an English French Horn player who brought the instrument into prominence by his virtuosic playing, his many commissions, and his appearences on BBC Television and Radio. When he died in a car crash in 1957, Francis Poulenc was moved to write the Élégie.
Poulenc was a contemporary of Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951) and used the Élégie to experiment, for the first and only time, with the 12-tone system. The work opens with a 12-tone theme played on the solo horn before a variant is picked up by the piano, all by way of a prelude to what is then more recognisably tonal Poulenc.
Camille Saint-Saëns Romance for Horn and Piano in E major, Op. 67
Saint-Saëns composed two Romances for Horn with this Op. 67 from 1866 dedicated to Henri Chaussier as was the Morceau de Concert. The Romance Op. 36 in F major was dedicated to Henri Garigue which we shall hear later. Stylistically, both of the Romances are “Songs without Words” with the lyrical theme given to the French Horn with a piano accompaniment in the chamber version, though there is also an orchestrated version and another with a Cello part.
Eugène Bozza (1905-1991) En Forêt, Op. 40
Published in 1941, En Forêt uses several extended techniques for the French Horn which belies its original intent as an examination piece for the Paris Conservatory. As such, this is a technically challenging work, though based on a traditional hunting horn theme and fanfares. There are several thematic fragments borrowed from other well-know works hidden away in here, including references to Respighi’s Pines of Rome and an early 11th century hymn, “Victimae paschali laudes.” Nonetheless, En Forêt is a melodically fluent work combining the inevitably virtuosic horn part with an impressionistic piano accompaniment.
Paul Dukas (1865-1935) Villanelle for Horn and Piano
As with the Bozza En Forêt, the Villanelle for Horn and Piano from 1906 was also composed as an examination work for the Paris Conservatory. Interestingly, one of the technical challenges of this work is to play the French Horn as it it were a Natural Horn, ie, without valves. The Villanelle has become a popular work in performance not only because it demonstrates the performer’s virtuosity, but because it has an engaging collection of memorable melodies.
Camille Saint-Saëns Romance in F major, Op. 36
The later F major Romance from 1874, dedicated to Henri Garigue, is another “Song Without Words”. Garigue originally had this work orchestrated for horn and a small salon orchestra, but here we hear it with a simple piano accompaniment. Because the transition from Natural Horn to valved French Horn was just coming to its protracted conclusion, this Romance shows off the sounds possible with the Natural instrument using a simple, elegant melodic line rather than being technically challenging.
Jean Françaix (1912-1997) Divertimento for Horn and Piano
Composed in 1953, the Divertimento is a three movement work which is notoriously short and difficult. The first movement Introduzione is syncopated and technical, as is the third movement, Canzonetta. In the middle the second movement Aria di cantabile is lyrical and more lugubrious. All in all, a work that is flamboyant and virtuosic often bringing an audience to its feet!
Claude Debussy (1862-1918) L’isle joyeuse
From 1904, L’isle joyeuse is a single movement work for solo piano. It is thought to have been inspired by a painting, The Embarkation for Cythera by Jean-Antoine Watteau, representing a journey to Aphrodite’s supposed birthplace. However, the parallel for Debussy is more likely to be a journey Debussy took to Jersey to have an affair with Emma Bardac.
L’isle joyeuse is energetic and modal, based on a whole tone and diatonic scales essentially in Lydian mode. It opens with a trill and cadenza that is repeated throughout the work until the impassioned waltz with which it ends.
Jeanne Vignery (1913-1974) Sonata for Horn and Piano, Op. 7
Belgian composer Jeanne (Jane) Vignery probably wrote the Sonata for Horn and Piano in 1942. She composed only a small number of chamber works, and this is the only one for Horn. Nevertheless, it won the Emile Mathieu prize for composition and was dedicated to M. Maurice van Bocxstaele, professor of Horn at the Ghent Conservatory.
The Sonata is in a traditional 3 movements, opening with sparkling fanfares that yield to a lyrical, conversational melody split between piano and horn. The second movement Lento ma non troppo is more melancholic ultimately restating the optimistic opening theme in a more thoughtful and powerful light to bring is full circle. The last movement has a folksy, dance like feel where it is possible to imagine a village band leading the dancers slightly astray with rushes of laughter as everyone realises what is going on.