Bob Ward wrote: >I have realized that the key to having it sound right is to approach >it and interpret it as a Romantic style, since that is the genesis of >this genre of music. There are many more modern composers that I >do think are excessively academic and largely devoid of emotional >content, but Schoenberg and Berg are not among them, in my opinion.
Horn students would do well to take to heart Bob's comments here. Personally, I consider the Schoenberg Chamber Symphony to be one of the most rewarding works in the repertoire to perform. It is also becoming increasingly popular as an audition work, at least in our neck of the woods, and so lately I have had occasion to work with many hornists who were preparing the work as an excerpt. I have concluded that the single biggest obstacle to them performing the work successfully is that they approach the piece as a series of amusical, almost arbitrary, ridiculously difficult, technical challenges, and focus on muscling their way through those spots. It often seems that is has never occurred to the student to step back and view the work as a highly Romantic and lyrical one, and to try focusing on playing long, expressive lines, rather than concentrating on the short-term technical challenges. David B. Thompson Solo Horn, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra Professor of Horn, Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya _______________________________________________ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
