I've always found it interesting that such an exposed and fairly "soloistic" part is hardly ever encountered on 2nd Horn audition lists.
Stephen Laifer On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 1:00 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Send Horn mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 06 Jun 2010 22:24:33 -0400 > From: Punto <[email protected]> > Subject: [Hornlist] Beethoven Missa solemnis Sanctus 2nd horn part > To: [email protected] > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > Does anyone know of any writings on Beethoven's choice to give the > second horn the lead part in this movement while the first lays out for > about 74 bars? It is not in any way similar to the 4th horn writing in > the 9th symphony or 2nd horn solos in Fidelio or elsewhere since it > clings to the high horn tessitura from beginning to end. In no way does > it appear to be a late classical/pre-romantic second horn part. If it > weren't Beethoven, I might just think that it was an attempt to give the > principal player a rest, but he never showed any evidence of doing that > anywhere in his writing for any instrument (or voice, for that matter). > One other interesting touch in the second part; several exposed written > F-sharps (horn in E), below the staff, in the Agnus Dei. > > A very intense piece of music and he clearly was trying out a lot of > adventurous ideas in it. I hope that someone can point me to some > authoritative study on its orchestration. I just played (and quite > enjoyed) second on a rough and tumble performance of this with meager > forces and an even sparser audience and it would be nice to benefit from > the common knowledge out there on this if there be any. > > Peter Hirsch > > > > > _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
