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The Development of the French Horn in the Nineteenth Centuryby Jessica Kaplan The Nineteenth Century was a period of expansion and development for the French Horn.
The most important structural change of the horn came with the development of valves. Heinrich
Stolzel first mentioned valves in December 1814, and another German named Bluhmel patented
them in 1818. Various valves were created and used in experiments throughout the remainder
of the century. Christian Satler added the third valve of the horn in 1840. In 1898,
another German, Krupse developed the first double horn which combined the F and E flat
horns. This horn expanded the range and ability of horn players to play. Horn WritingAt first the valved horn received mixed feelings among composers. Some composers
refused to write for it and continued to compose for the natural horn, whereas others took
advantage of the new harmonic possibilities associated with the valved horn. Robert SchumannHe wrote the first major work for valved horn called Adagio and Allegro written
in 1849, exhausting many of the possibilities of the new valved horn. He also expanded the
horn repertoire by composing a four horn Konzertstück, which demands extreme
virtuosity among the players and for many years was considered "unplayable" by
several members of the horn community. Schumann's C Major Symphony contains a great
horn call that is a favorite of many horn players. Johannes BrahmsHe refused to write for the valved horn and most of Brahms' music is easier to play on
natural horn. Brahms composed the Horn Trio Op. 40 which includes a violin, horn
and piano. The parts are still complex and technical but void of difficult chromaticism
and harmony that the valve horn demanded. In Brahms' 2nd Piano Concerto, the first
movement opens with a horn solo which was unusual for concertos. He used the horn as a
solo instrument in several of his pieces, and the most famous is found in the Finale of
the 1st Symphony Richard WagnerHe was the first to write extensively for the valved horn. Wagner's compositions were a
"break through" for horn solos, the most famous one found in the horn call in Siegfried.
This call was a paradigm for further horn solos, demanding greater capabilities from
players. Wagner highlighted new chromaticism in brass instruments as heard in the Prelude
to Lohengrin and the opening of Das Rheingold. Both of these pieces involve
difficult transposition and demanding ranges for the horn. Gustav MahlerHe wrote many important horn parts within his orchestral works and utilized the many
possibilities associated with the valved horn. He wrote several beautiful solos that
demand technical mastery of the horn. Mahler also wrote parts for a large number of horns
as seen in the opening of the Third Symphony which begins with eight horns playing
in unison. Franz StraussTogether, the Strauss family signified the highlight of horn playing and composition in
the Nineteenth Century. Franz played for the Royal Bavarian Court Orchestra as first horn
for 40 years. In terms of compositions, Strauss wrote several things for the horn,
including a Horn Concerto, and a Fantasy on a Waltz. He was not a prolific
writer, but spent most of his time perfecting his playing and training his son Richard. Richard StraussThe son of a famous horn player, Richard Strauss wrote several pieces that display his
mastery of the instrument. He composed two horn concertos that use the horn in a romantic
way. His melodies are extremely lyrical and full of love. Strauss demanded a lot from horn
players by composing difficult technical pieces and expanded the range of the horn. His
influence over horn composition and playing is unmatched by any other composer of the
century. Other Important 19th Century Horn Composers
Horn PlayersBohemia was the birthplace of the Petrides brothers, who were two of the
greatest players of the century. John and Pete Petride settled in London in 1802. where
they played for the remainder of their lives. Giovanni Puzzi also played in London
and established standards of excellence for technical aspects of horn playing. Heimrich
Dominich was a teacher and player in Paris and part of a family of famous horn
players. Bibliography
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