Steve Freides wrote:
Anyone playing in a community band or otherwise and using a single F horn?
Just a couple of days ago, I took my 1923 Conn 4d out of its case and was
reminded just how much I enjoy playing it. It blows _so_ easily and makes
quite a nice tone, IMHO.
The trouble, of course, is that it gets tricky to hit notes above the staff
on a single F but I have trouble with that aspect of my playing, anyway, so
it is not yet a big concern to me.
My double is a Yamaha 666, which I like but is heavier to hold and a lot
more work to play. Perhaps "training" on the bigger horn and then playing
the smaller is the best of all worlds.
----------
I have offered to supply the section of my orchestra with a more or less
matched set of single F horns for classical era and Viennese repertory,
but so far have not gotten an enthusiastic response from the other
players. I use a lot of F horn for that repertory on my double anyway. I
find the extra resistance helps with endurance on sustained high notes,
and the higher tessitura adds extra brilliance when playing loud.
As part of my demonstration for prospective buyers of single F horns, I
have (re-)learned the Tchaikovsky 5th slow movement solo on the F horn.
It's not really too scary, since you don't have to attack notes very
high, and it sounds great. I mostly need the music in front of me so the
double horn fingerings don 't pop out unbidden.
The Conn 4D is a really nice single F. The Yamaha 31x series are good,
and I mostly sell those for young students. Another really good single F
horn is the Reynolds Contempora FE-12. It's like the F side of a Pottag
model double, but much lighter. Wonderful sound and very responsive. I
have one listed on hornplayer. net. Not to be confused with the Reynolds
Emperor, which is the same horn as the Olds Ambassador.
Richard Hirsh, Chicago
_______________________________________________
post: [email protected]
unsubscribe or set options at
http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
