There has lately been a thread on the Mahler List about horns and trumpets in use in Mahler's time. There are many conflicting opinions, as you can well imagine. Some are strong champions of single F horns in performance of Mahler. These are people who claim to know what kinds of horns are used on various Mahler recordings. Perhaps they can, but I am skeptical. My experience has been that a lot depends on how the instrument is played, and maybe not quite so much on the instrument itself. I wonder how these "connoisseurs" would score in a blind test... hearing passages played on single F horns, double horns, descant horns, and so forth. I am merely a composer though I have spent a lifetime writing horn music and caring deeply about the "true" horn sound. My experience has been that a good player can produce the sound I want regardless of the instrument he or she chooses to play. So my question is:
Does the single F horn produce a unique and characteristic sound that is immediately recognizable and one that cannot be duplicated by other horns? Is it common knowledge that an experienced music lover can listen to an orchestra recording and tell for sure what horns are being played? Somehow I doubt it, but I would appreciate an expect opinion here. I myself tend to listen mainly for phrasing, dynamic finesse, and overall musicality, but maybe I am missing something. David Lamb in Seattle _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
