You still mix loudness with colours. The desired sound colour is important: silvery & light. You can play light on the double, like in Mozarts music, but not for the Bach & Haendel. Well, there is a disadvantage with these descant horns: One cannot practise without ruining ones embouchure, so one has to practise on the low F & just take up the descant for the performance to produce the sound required by the style of Bach or Haendel or Zelenka or early J.Haydn. Nice & nice seems to be not compatible on both sides of the Atlantic - sometimes. ============================================================ ================================================
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 5:20 PM To: horn@music.memphis.edu Subject: Re: [Hornlist] For Hans/Brandenburg/Environment 'Big' horns are not automatically 'loud' horns. The vintage 8D, made of 0-too-thin NS (.009"?) is not a does not project the way a smaller bell horn does, instead radiating in all directions. I think the Osmun site has a story about Phil Myer discovering this as he compared sound pressure levels of his 8D and new Schmid. Some horn manufacturers offer their horns made of very thin brass, to produce a 'big sound' that doesn't over power. I also have found, when preparing to perform a Brandenburg type piece, that I naturally develop an embouchure more suited to light playing in the high register that doesn't drain my endurance. I have a medium bell descant, but, after learning the notes on it, there is no real advantage over the standard double. From the understanding I've developed from having a collection to choose from, my opinion is that a vintage 8D design just might be optimal for the Brandenburg once you've adjusted to the playing style needed. Chances are also very good that a second horn can be matched to the first. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: horn@music.memphis.edu Sent: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 20:54:17 +0000 Subject: [Hornlist] For Hans/Brandenburg/Environment Hans- I have never heard of the Quoniam. I have performed the 1st horn part of Brandenburg 1 about 6 times, all on a Conn 8D L series. Where 'light' music is concerned: I did over 600 concerts in foreign orchestras on that 8D for 3-1/2 years. 80% of the repertoire was comprised of Mozart, Rossini, Dvorak, Beethoven, Bach, Haydn and other 'light' composers. I had to do what it took to play all of those 1st horn parts, using the 8D as there was not enough money for a second instrument. I invite any 8D player on this list to go right ahead and do the 1st part of Brandenburg 1 with your 8D. For additional fun and transposition experience on the fly, sight read (in rehearsal or performance) the 2nd or 3rd trumpet parts (A, B Flat, C), do clarinet parts (B Flat, A), do viola parts (D) in particular (the Dumke Trio by Dvorak is a great 'horn' part on viola). Do whatever it takes to get your light playing chops in there. If I can do it, so can anyone else. Anyone who does this as a habit, feel free to share with the list. The harder the piece, the better-I'd like to hear other stories about hornists doing other and more difficult music. >from: "Hans.Pizka" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Nobody here plays Brandenburg 1 or the Quoniam on a double >horn. The sound is too heavy. Sorry Hans, Phil DID say: "Adjust YOUR environment". He did NOT say "Adjust TO your environment". He did not need to say it-as these are things we already know. These are EXTERNAL factors and OUT of the hornist's control. Some of these will be listed later on. Phil meant that a hornist would want to make sure he/she was comfortable enough in any surroundings to be able to play without distraction. These are INTERNAL factors and WITHIN the hornist's control. Once a hornist loses focus on the music; everything else goes downhill from there. If one is not concentrating on any note, the person has good odds of missing the note; no matter what. Any note can be missed, even with the best chops, memorized music, even when the person practices 6 hours a day. The hornist may wish to refer to all of those times a note was missed and it was NOT due to: a) cork or neoprene in the bumpers out of adjustment b) improperly tuned instrument-resulting in the hornist playing into the upper or lower portion of a partial-thereby increasing the chances of a clam c) insufficient air or improper support mechanisms d) water someplace in the horn e) the hornist being out of shape f) music read incorrectly because of: poor eyesight, wrong transposition; inability to transpose on time; skipping 2 or 3 lines g) hornist is distracted by another hornist asking "where ARE we?" ...and all of the other factors Therefore, all influences that said hornist HAS control over which interfere with focus should be removed, if at all possible; if not, then they should be damped down as far as they can be. On my own list of items that can be controlled which follows, Phil specified ONLY the chair and the wall, but IMPLIED that we could work out our own comfort requirements. These are WITHIN of the hornist's control: 1)comfortable seating 2)suitable lighting 3)readable manuscript 4)a stand that didn't come off in your face when adjusting 5)bell room and preferably a back wall to bounce the sound off. 6) hornist colleagues who do not talk while one is playing These are OUT of the hornist's control: 7) a conductor who doesn't pick on the horn section 8) enjoyable music 9) a group's intonation/rhythmic ability/dynamic/accuracy/etc. and others..... 10) jet aircraft going overhead, barking dogs, dogs running INTO the group, crying babies, children running past the stage, cell phones, pagers, flash photography and video cams, other musicians falling backward off improperly braced risers, stage light blackouts, broken or poorly adjusted lever strings, you name it. The worst issue: Phil is terribly right about that chair. I do not know how many hornists are aware of how much one's future and career can hang on this until I explain a particular incident: The worst interference in an audition, apart from all the other factors, is the chair they give a hornist when playing for the judges. This chair is nearly always too tall , too short, or its back is set at a slant, or it wobbles. The hornist ends up nearly always perched on the end of such a chair just to get the feet on the ground. Some hornists like playing this way, whereas others prefer to stand and that's fine (for them). But not for me. For those of us who use a chair, Phil always recommended that this have a solid back against which a hornist could flatten his/her own back. The hornist would need to keep the torso straight in order to facilitate a full breath-air production and support being one of Myers' main teaching specialties. The hornist should also be able to plant both feet flat on the ground. Phil did not approve of the 'perch on the edge of the seat' method, although many hornists do teach this. Yes it is good for a lot of things-but if I had a choice between doing that and standing, I would prefer to stand. In fact, standing to play horn is the best position of all-and those who do so benefit greatly from this. The Incident: One of the last auditions I took had a 'tall' chair out in the judging arena. I was very concerned about my own performance and therefore declined when the proctor offered to replace the chair. All I could think of, while seated, was how uncomfortable it was with my feet dangling in mid air; therefore I messed up very badly, due to lack of focus. This was at a time when I was completely confident, my chops were working perfectly in full range, I had the music learned twice over, and I still messed up. This was 100% my own fault for not taking 'control'. I should have asked for another chair, but did not wish to take up 'their' time, and was worried about the audition. Here's where it gets 'worse': This 'mistake' had the potential to influence any reputation I may have had amongst any local contractors. One may be the greatest player who ever graced his/her little town, but if one allows the focus to become compromised; particularly by the wrong chair at the wrong time, one risks paying the same price that I am paying. For years after that incident, I carried my own well-fitting chair wherever I played-and it was worth it. Or, I would carry 2 small blocks of wood to put under my feet. Where the items OUT of control are concerned-the hornist would need to ignore these if possible, or, laugh it off. Are we now understanding one another? >from: "Hans.Pizka" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >No, this is not the method. It should better read "Adjust to >your environment !" Best wishes Rachel Harvey *************** Disclaimer: What I post is taken from true experience, taken from education, is my own personal/hypothetical opinion, or is just an attempt at dry humour. It is never to be assumed that I ever know what I am doing-at least in someone else's point of view. I am still in a learning process, even after 40+ years horn experience. I also enjoy assisting when someone asks for assistance. For me, the focus, even in a pro gig is not how much money I make but rather that I have fun. When I have fun, then the rest will fall into place. Please feel free to mail me offlist if you need to discuss or dispute anything I say here. _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/billbamberg%4 0aol.com ____________________________________________________________ ____________ Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email and IM. 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