Bill, Always pleased when I can draw you out of the woodwork and get a posting from you on the list.
Suttner was on my short list of likely suspects, not because I actually know much of anything about him, but because I was given a copy of the horn and piano version of his Horn Concerto by an extremely elderly (certainly well into his 80s at the time and still playing in a community orchestra out on Long Island) horn player, by the name of Jacob Tillinger around 25 years ago. I believe that Tillinger had studied with him and the part has what appear to be Suttner's markings in it. After announcing my quest to unmask Hans' "mystery man", I had intended to start by digging the music out of my collection and perusing it for clues, but your reply has come before I got around to it. What strikes me in particular is its cadenza which has multiphonics that make the Weber Concertino or Ethel Smyth Double Concerto examples look like child's play by comparison. Secondly, I completely agree with you that the Stefan Dohr Strauss CD is in a class by itself. Also, if I had taken the time to search my shelves for it, I also could have avoided confusing it with Richard's Intro, them and variations since it is also on the disc. I have a few similar collections that originate from your side of the pond and I didn't mention or place them for consideration them at the time due to the relative difficulty of obtaining them. I was also hesitant to cite anything that I could not provide a direct discographic citation for. Sadly, I have not cataloged my personal collections (music, recordings, books), though they long ago grew beyond my capacity for retrieval simply relying on my memory of where everything is. This is regrettable, but it's not like I'm some sort of librarian or archivist or something like that <insert - very big sheepish grin>. Regards, Peter Hirsch <message: 4 <date: Tue, 10 Oct 2006 21:38:35 +0200 <from: William Melton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <subject: [Hornlist] Things Straussian < <Of many things mentioned by Prof. Pizka, this nugget provoked interest: < <> My source is reliable as the owner was <> <just 17 years younger than Franz Strauss=B4 son Richard ... The two <> <scores are part of the heritage of the famous horn player <> <who=B4s biography I=B4m writing at the moment ... More news <> <later, as soon as the biography is completed, a very <> <honourful task for me, as the player was one of my <> <played with some of his students for his six last birthdays <> <before he died at age 93. < <The distinguished musical archivist Peter Hirsch responded: < <> (Hmmm, now let me see. I wonder if anyone on this list can put <> enough o= <> f <> Hans' clues to figure out just who he means. < <No mystery here. Peter, the mysterious hornist's birth date alone <(1864 plus 17 equals 1881) indicates that we are talking about Prof. <Pizka's predecessor Josef Suttner (1881-1974; the latter date <confirming the 93 years ascribed to this hornist by Prof. Pizka). < <Turning to the the recordings of the Franz Strauss Theme & Var. : < <I have heard them and they are all at least competent. Frankly, when you <are talking about a piece like this, there is really no big <"interpretive' deal. They all play the notes,.some with more panache and <clarity than others, but none of them are going to make you think that <you are listening to the Adagio and Allegro. Silk purse and sow's ear <and all that, you know. < <Mr. Hirsch is absolutely right: the piece in question is not one of <the gems of our literature. However, there's a recording out there <that hasn't been mentioned that offers an additional aspect, one not <limited to the interpretive. If authenticity, a quality that tends <to be valuable no matter the level of the music, is of interest, look <up the recording by Stefan Dohr and Markus Becker: < <http://www.campanella-musica.com/catalogue/130120.htm < <I've read thoughtful lamentations on this list about the <disappearance of authentic national styles of horn sound. Dohr <represents the current generation of the Alexander 103 oriented <German school, with nearly a century of stylistic pedigree. He is <also solo hornist of the finest ensemble in Germany, so you can't go <wrong. < <Bill Melton <Hauset (B) / Sinfonie Orchester Aachen (D) _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
