Literature review
Barry Tuckwell, a well known horn player, wrote about his studies of the French horn. Tuckwell describes the origins of the French horn, dating all the way back to Biblical times and used in many Jewish ceremonies. This research varies among authors because there is no official account of specific horn like instruments used during that time period. The French horn used for hunting purposes is so far, based on my research, the most common historical information written about the french horn. In almost every source, the authors mention the hunting horn. He writes about it being used on the battlefield for communications purposes before it transitioned into indoor entertainment, such as operas. Tuckwell includes short excerpts from composers such as Mozart and Beethoven to explain some of the earliest written repertoire for the horn. This book focuses mainly on the history of the french horn leading all the way up to its use in the orchestra. It does not reflect on the more recent aspects of the french horn in the orchestra, such as the most common rhythms or styles of the french horn.
Anthony Baines wrote a study over Brass instruments, including the horn, trombone, trumpet, toga, baritone, etc. The study is not specifically on the french horn, but explains its early uses, specifically for hunting purposes. Baines did not write about the horn being played in early biblical times for religious ceremonies like mentioned in Tuckwell’s research. Horns were built to make different sounds for different purposes. Hunting horns did not survive, but they were eventually used for fanfares in the orchestra. Barry Tuckwell’s book is similar to Anthony Baines’s research in that both focus specifically on the french horn for hunting, military and communication purposes. The study over Brass Instruments goes into much more detail of the history whereas Tuckwell’s research is a bit more broad and easier to follow.
The Wager Tuba talks about specific keys used for the earlier horns. The horns before the transformation into the orchestra and horns with valves could only be played in natural keys that didn't require pistons or rotary valves.
Another way that I could research is through different types of music involving the french horn to evaluate the time period the horn is seen most in repertoire or to see where the french horn first enters. This would be different form researching the history and would solve the gap of such a broad topic and would possible narrow the research possibilities.
My research fits into this gap of why the horn is so different from other instruments, and shows how and why the uniques aspects of the horn are used in music from every musical time period including, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and modern time periods. The french horn has so many different sounds, features, and techniques that no other instruments can provide in an orchestral setting. There is already research on the time periods and more specific horn topics, but what makes the horn so different and what makes it stand out over other instruments is the basis of my research.
Introduction
The French horn is an instrument made out of brass that has become standard in the orchestra, because of its unique sound. A horn has tubing coiled and intertwined to align with valve placement, and has a bell with a large flare off the the right of the instrument. This is where the sound comes out. In most orchestral settings there is a section of four horns. Usually, the first horn and third horn have higher ranged parts and the second and fourth horn have lower parts. The horn has a sound that is very dramatic and stands out through the orchestra, but it also has a warm mellow sound that is relaxing and pleasant to listen to. Often, composers will write multiple movements to capture this contrast in sound. When the horn is played in the orchestra, commonly, parts are written very standardly for the style of music, but usually when composers give the horn an important excerpt, it is part of the melody or counter melody. This paper will focus on how the french horn evolved through the different time periods of music and how the horn has musical aspects that no other instrument can provide.
The horn was used in its original forms before the modern era horn. Often, it was used for religious ceremonies. The horn is a descendant of an animal horn, like a ram. These animal horns were often used in Jewish ceremonies in biblical times and was referred to as the shofar (The Horn). Once the animals horns became of more use for “calling” or “alerting” purposes, hunters and soldiers used it for communication and code signals (The Horn). The animal horns were perfect for this purpose because they were loud and easy to hear unlike the first flutes or other wind instruments. Hunting horns gradually were not used anymore and horns were then mostly used for the military. Horns have been around for thousands of years and were used for more than just one purpose. The horn in significant because of its everyday use beginning in biblical times for religious ceremonies to the modern day horn in the orchestra. Horns did not really begin to evolve into the orchestra until operas used one or two, usually to still make hunting calls (The Horn). Even though the horn has drastically evolved, the hunting call is still incorporated into compositions to highlight its original forms and uses.
Musical Analysis and Eras
Repertoire for the orchestra and music, generally, is divided by time period. The Baroque era, which lasted from about 1600-1750, is when the orchestra began to form into what it is today. Composers such as Handel and Bach wrote pieces with contrast and a variety of instruments, but mostly strings. Horns during this time were often seen in pairs and played with very light and bouncy articulation. During the Classical era, which began around 1750 and ended in 1820, composers such as Beethoven and Mozart wrote pieces featuring different instruments like the piano instead of the harpsichord and oboe, and the flute and horn, instead of strings. This created more of a simpler sound that was easier and more pleasant to listen to. Classical composers created a sound that blended instruments in all sections together. The Romantic period, 1810-1910, horn parts were very expressive with more passion and drama incorporated into compositions. Composers such as, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak wrote pieces that greatly contrasted between lyrical and dramatic sections in the symphony incorporating the horn to often intensify the change. In the modern era, the orchestra has a distinct sound because instead of focusing on the orchestra as a whole, composers, focus on the sounds of individual instruments. Howard Hanson and John Williams, for example, wrote spectacular compositions featuring the powerful, lyrical and dramatic sound of the horn. Beginning in the Baroque period on, the horn has musical aspects that no other instruments can provide.
The Baroque Era transformed the idea of music altogether. Composers began writing, incorporating the harpsichord, flute, oboe, and horn with string instruments. In this era, there arose a new sense of melody and harmony, contrasting the simplicity of style before. Operas incorporated more instruments for the orchestra. The horn before the Baroque period was only used for hunting and militaristic purposes. The horn began to have a significant role in the orchestra as a whole. A horn section typically consisted of just two horns instead of a full four horn section which is seen today. Bach especially incorporated the horn into his works. In Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 Movement I, measures 12-25 Bach hands the focus of the concerto to the first and second horns with light and articulate runs that are simple, but powerful over the orchestra. It is molto vivace and staccato, almost dance like. This movement is played at around 140 beats per minute. The horns have the melody with the counter melody in the oboes and accompaniment in the strings. In Movement IV of the concerto, the horns have a trio that consists of perfect fifth harmonies between the first horn and the second horn, again with very light articulation which presents a graceful melody. Bach’s style consisted of many notes, as seen in the excerpts below, with simple rhythms that could be described as steady motor rhythms (Wight).
Movement I: horn 1
Movement I: horn 2
Brandenburg Movement IV: horn 1
Movement IV: horn 2
The Classical era in music was a time of new melodies where the orchestra fully developed. The orchestra often consisted of a full string section, flutes, oboes, clarinets, and horns (Ross). This created a diversity of sound instead of solely focusing on the string section to create the melody. Beethoven is often the most thought of composer when referencing the Classical era. He wrote “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” which is by far one of the most recognizable tunes in the universe. Beethoven is known for taking a small theme and making it into an entire symphony (Wight). His style includes balancing the instruments throughout the orchestra with highlighting specific instruments for diversity and effect (Wight). Beethoven uses the horn because it blends very well with other instruments. Beethoven occasionally wrote parts for four horns and sometimes limited the amount of horn players needed, but still manages to portray the same effect of the sound. In Beethoven’s 3rd symphony, third movement, he composed a trio for the horn section. This is played scherzo by three horns with an emphasis of the second note of the pattern. This excerpt includes a range in the key of E-flat from C3 in the second horn to C5 in the first horn. In the second group of notes, Beethoven layers the horn entrance to create a harmony pattern with the second horn starting the pattern, then third, then first comes in and completes the patter on a C3 note.
Horn 1
Horn 2
Horn 3
In Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, the horns are featured from measure 89 to letter C. The horn stands out here because the section plays at fortissimo with light and fanfare like articulation. The excerpt has a pick up scale into the passage that leads into the first note that the horn plays in A. Here, Beethoven only wrote two parts for the horn, but still includes the powerful and gusto sound of the french horn. The rhythm consists of dotted eighth notes with a sixteenth note followed by an eighth note. This rhythm repeats multiple times and forms the theme for the rest of the movement. The horns play this passage at fortissimo which gives this passage a very victorious and heroic touch.
Horn 1
Horn 2
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 Mvt. 1
Horn 1
In the Romantic period, music became a luxury, enjoyed by the public instead of solely the upper class men and women. It was more of a secular event rather than a religious event (Romantic Music). As for the style of music, composers aimed for an accarezzevole and largo touch, meaning expressive and broad. Music that is pleasing to the ear. Along with the elegant touch, the Romantic era tends to be very dramatic particularly in the first and last movements of symphonies. The dramatic effect is often expressed in the horns because of its versatility in sound. Horns are usually arranged in a section of four in the orchestra. In Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, movement one, he wrote a very dramatic fanfare like opening for the horns. All four horns play at fortissimo over the orchestra. This excerpt incorporates the horns powerful sound. Where the horn can sound very mellow at times, it is also full and metallic. Horn players often refer to it as “brassy,” because the hornists are playing with an ample amount of air in order to use the horn to its full potential: musically, of course. Tchaikovsky integrates separation and more heavy articulation to open the symphony. He writes decrescendos to create the effect from loud to soft on longer notes. This creates a theme for the audience of what the rest of the piece will sound like.
During the modern era, composers focused on highlighting singular instruments to incorporate the unique sound. In Howard Hanson’s romantic symphony for example, the horns are featured throughout the entire symphony, particularly the first horn. Hanson begins the symphony with a very dramatic feel incorporating the brass sections. Because it is his Romantic symphony, it sounds very dreamy and loving, incorporating the adagio feel in the horn solo. The first movement has tension along with a lot of emotion written into one section. The second movement specifically in the horn part sounds minimalist and calming like sailing on a boat. Hanson integrates the horn into his symphony because it creates an effect that other instruments cannot provide. The horn often sounds distant and creates a full sound that is so appealing to the audience. The first horn part has solos that Hanson uses to incorporate certain feelings after the dramatic opener. First Movement: Horn 1
This excerpt here is the main theme of the entire symphony. This is the horn’s very important counter melody to the string’s melody (Horn Matters Hanson). It encapsulates the horn’s ability to perform with a broad range of notes, rhythms, and dynamic contrast, which of course has to do a lot about the musician playing, but the shape and style of the horn allows the musician to accurately premiere these qualities. This excerpt is very legato or lento, as written in the music and a bit rubato leading into letter F. When the solo arts before letter F, the solo is played at mezzo piano, which adds a distance effect to the excerpt. The triplet patter after the two four bar adds tension to the rhythm and notes being played. The dynamics written in the music gives phrasing suggestions to the soloists and gives contrast to the solo.
John Williams is another modern era composer who takes advantage of the powerful sound of the horn. John Williams has written scores for many movies, including Star Wars, Harry Potter, E.T., Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and many more. John Williams is one of the most well known Hollywood composers. These scores are very unique and very recognizable often by the important horn parts the Williams incorporates. William’s style is inspired by late romantic composers such as Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss (Patterson). His music, specifically his film scores, often allow people to imagine fantasy and adventure. John Williams singles out the horn to create that powerful, compelling, and unique twist to his scores. He takes the techniques specific to the horn and writes horn parts with these abilities in mind. He has also written a concerto for the horn specifically. John Williams takes advantage of the unique tone of the horn and puts it into his music, to make his compositions stand out even more.
John Williams’s score of Indiana Jones, “Raiders March,” shows his adventurous side of composing. There is a light accompaniment to the melody, in the brass section, that expresses the wildness and excitement of the piece. “Raiders March,” along with many other of William’s pieces features the french horns and the brass section together. In Raiders March, because it is a march, horns often have off beats and metronomic rhythms. John Williams gives the horn off beats, but also creates a very important solo that portrays adventure and mystery.
Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, also called the New World Symphony, is an excellent piece that highlights the horn section. The Symphony is called “New World” because Dvorak wrote it when he visited America in the 1890s (Alsop). Dvorak begins the symphony with a blare from the French horns to create suspense for the remainder of the symphony. It’s almost like foreshadowing in literature because the horn featured in the beginning foreshadows the the huge horn themes in all of the movements. In “New World,” the first and third parts have very similar parts and the second and fourth parts have similar parts, all adding to the value of the french horn section in this composition. The melody of the first movement is captured with a fanfare in horns 3(maybe 2) at Allegro motto. It is written to have a hair pin shaped sound, starting small, crescendoing to forte, and bringing the sound back down, emphasizing the written E with an accent. These dynamics create a push and pull feel that is so expressive which engages the audience.
Qualities of the French Horn
Different sizes of horns make different sounds and people use that idea and make different types of horn instruments (Brass Instruments). The horn is also unique because there are many different types of horns: Single, double, triple, natural, marching, Vienna, and many more (Dorman). Single horns are mostly played by beginner horn players and the double and triple are the most standard for the common orchestra. The double horn has a thumb valves that creates an F side of the horn and a B flat side of the horn, which makes it easier to play in the higher range of the horn. The natural horn is unique because it has no valves and pitch is adjusted by the embouchure of the performer (Dorman). This type of horn has become less common today, but is often used and taught when studying about the french horn. The marching horn, often referred to as a mellophone is obviously, used for marching bands (Dorman). The Vienna horn is often used in Austrian orchestras and has not changed for over two hundred years. This type of horn creates an exclusive warm tone (The Vienna Horn). The Vienna horn is the standard horn in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (The Vienna Horn). All of these horns combined can be used in the orchestra, which gives the horn section in particular the distinct auditory effect.
Once the horn became of more use in the musical world, it began to transform into a form of indoor entertainment. The horn was mostly used for operas in the fanfare or mysterious hunting parts of the operas. This was the start of the horn being incorporated into the orchestra. Natural horn was the most common type of horn, which requires the use of hand technique because of the different keys composition are written in. Hand technique is necessary because for natural horn, there are no valves, so there are only certain intervals that can be played. To play in different keys, the hand has to move inside the bell to alter the pitch for the certain keys. Hand technique is also valuable for keeping the horn in tune while playing. The horn naturally tends to play sharp, but the way the hand is positioned inside the bell can significantly bring the pitch down or up, if needed. If the pitch needs to be flattened, the hand can cover more over the bell without interfering the the sound being produced. If the pitch needs to go up, the hand can move back more towards the outer end of the bell.
Techniques
The French Horn has many abilities specific to the horn that no other instrument can produce, sound wise. Horn rips and glissandos are two techniques that make the horn stand out. A glissando is the “rapid ascending or descending of the scale” (Glissando). This effect on the horn creates a powerful sound from usually a lower pitch to a higher pitch. A gliss on the horn is often played by blowing air through the horn to hit as many notes as possible in between the two pitches. A gliss effect sounds like a call and grasps the attention of the audience. Glissandos are usually played at a louder volume to create more of an effect. The gliss encapsulates that horn’s original purpose for hunting calls. Horn rips are very similar to glissandos except rips do not have a starting note (Davies). These are played the same way, except the player does not have to land on a note before the rip to the higher note. This image shows what a rip looks like in the first measure verses a glissando in the reaming measures. Rips and glissandos for the french horn are written a lot in modern music. John Williams uses rips and glissandos in a lot of horn parts that he has written to bring about a heroic effect.
Stopped horn is another common effect of the horn. A horn player creates the stopped effect by closing the hand inside the bell and it lowers the pitch by half a step. Stopped horn is very difficult for most horn players because the hand position has to be extremely precise to be able to play in tune with the orchestra or ensemble. Stopped horn creates a very dark and mellow sound. It is almost like a muffled sound that sounds very distant when played with the orchestra (Ericson). Stopped horn is unique to the horn because other instruments do not have a bell to insert the hand into to create this effect. Other instruments can use mutes, but no other can produce the stopped horn sound. Playing stopped horn can either sound a bit aggressive with heavy articulation, but still distant, or very mellow and soft. This image shows how stopped horn is written. A small plus sign above the note is an indication to play stopped horn.
Notably, the horn is heard in orchestras, brass bands, and even woodwind ensembles. Other instruments, such as the trumpet are often not seen playing in a woodwind ensemble. For instance, a horn might play with an oboe and piano accompaniment. This shows the versatility of the horn in many aspects of music. The horn can sound very “forced” and dramatic, but it also has a mellow tone that easily blends with winds and strings. The horn then plays a role in the orchestra by connecting the string, woodwind, and brass sections together (Johnstone). The horns possess the ability to mix well with the orchestra, but when written, also have the ability to “cut through the entire orchestra” (Johnstone). The horn is very unique in this aspect because other brass instruments like a trumpet, would not be able to blend well with all sections the orchestra like the french horn.
Conclusion
The french horn has so many aspects and techniques that single out the horn over other instruments in the orchestra. Composers from all musical time periods wrote excerpts and solos for the horns to exhibit these features. The horn can come in all different shapes and sizes, including double, single, Vienna, natural, and many more. These different horns are used in different setting, for instance, the Vienna horn is prominently used in the Symphonies is Vienna, Austria. The sound of the horn is so unique and different from other instruments. It is very mellow and broad, but also very dramatic and heroic. Composers utilize the sound to blend with other wind instruments or to stand out. Other wind instruments do not have the ability to blend with all other sections the orchestra like the horn does. As seen in the excerpts analyzed above, Composers use the french horn to highlight melodies of their symphonies. Composers present these melodies to set up the theme of their composition. Bach creates a melody in the Brandenburg symphony with light articulation and dynamics which is then changed into different variations for the rest of the piece. Beethoven does the same thing with his fanfare like melodies in the horn, used in different variations for the remainder of the piece. Techniques unique to the horn, such as glissandos, horn rips, and stopped horn are effects that no other instrument in the orchestra can present. The horn can be played with many styles and has a unique sound with versatility that allows these different styles to be played. Without the french horn, the orchestra would likely be boring and would not create the effect needed to express different composer’s style of music.
Works Cited
Alsop, Marin. “Dvorak's Symphonic Journey to the 'New World'.” NPR, NPR, 18 Apr. 2008, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89758808.
Davies, Tim. “The French Horn .” Tim Davies Website, www.timusic.net/debreved/the-french-horn/.
Dorman, Colin. “Types of French Horns.” Colin Dorman, colindorman.com/french-horn-types/.
Ericson, John. “Understanding Stopped and Muted Horn and Right-Hand Position.” Stopped and Muted Horn, www.public.asu.edu/~jqerics/ess_play.htm.
“Glissando.” OnMusic Dictionary – Term, dictionary.onmusic.org/terms/1593-glissando.
Johnstone, Arthur Edward. “Instruments of the Modern Symphony Orchestra.” Instruments of the Modern Symphony Orchestra – Wikisource, the Free Online Library, en.wikisource.org/wiki/Instruments_of_the_Modern_Symphony_Orchestra#38.
Paterson, Jim. “John Williams – Composer Extraordinaire.” John Williams – Film Composer, a Summary of His Career in Film and Television Music with Soundtrack Reviews, www.mfiles.co.uk/composers/John-Williams.htm.
"Romantic music." New World Encyclopedia, . 17 Jul 2015, 15:51 UTC. 2 Apr 2018, 16:01
Ross, Daniel. “Classical Era Music: a Beginner's Guide.” Classic FM, 11 Oct. 2012, www.classicfm.com/discover-music/periods-genres/classical/classical-music-beginners-guide/.
“The Vienna Horn.” Www.svh.org.uk – Viennahorn, sites.google.com/svh.org.uk/index2/home/viennahorn.
Tuckwell, Barry. Horn. Kahn & Averil, 2006.
Wight, Colin. “Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).” THE BRITISH LIBRARY, The British Library, 13 Mar. 2014, www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/musicmanu/bach/.
Wight, Colin. “Ludwig Van Beethoven .” THE BRITISH LIBRARY, The British Library, 13 Mar. 2014, www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/musicmanu/beethoven/index.html.