You brought up the topic, Hans!
I cannot tell you anything about opera or about Italian. Let alone about the
horn. But I can tell
you about laziness in a field, where we both have worked: engraving. And about
a musical practise
in a field, where I have worked as well as a player and as a writer
(arranger/editor/engraver).
In the scene of the really large big-bands the trumpets and trombones almost
invariably are
written 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th from top to bottom rangewise. The top parts
are very tough on
the embouchure, as they often go far up into the stratosphere (I have held all
trombone spots
except 3rd). So especially one of my theory teachers strongly urged us NOT to
use the 1st and 2nd
players whenever there was no need for 5 players to fill out the often complex
harmonies.
Hand engraving copper plates was before my time. There were just so many
pre-made tools for music
and text elements.
I do not know the Norma score and hence cannot tell the difference in the
workloads between the
two pairs of horns. But what immediately came to my mind, when I read your
original posting was:
"This is a clumsy way of telling the 2nd pair to act as bumpers for the 1st
pair during these
particular bars, if the director and/or the section would want to do so".
I have seen odd cue/bumper notes in horn parts. But always in editions made
after the introduction
of the valve horn. If the two pairs originally were in different keys, the 1st
pair may have had
to play the said bars. A later editor may have seen the chance to give the 1st
pair a rest, when
the 2nd pair by equipment was expected to be able to take over.
Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre
--- "Hans.Pizka" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> But I sat on horn THREE with this insertede passage of first
> & second horn "in macanza di Corno primo". And both horn
> pairs are imployed in this number. It is not like in
> Beethovens Fidelio or no.9 sinfonia, where the two horn
> pairs alternate. But it is as usual when the part of the
> "banda" is inserted ("in macanza di banda") and the banda
> (stage band) is played by the orchestra.
>
> Please, please, friends, you have not to explain parts or
> inscriptions for me AFTER nearly 50 years FULL TIME in a
> FULL TIME orchestra of the top class of opera orchestras and
> the longest existing orchestra of European culture, please.
> I just reported the curiosity of the publisher. - and I do
> speak Italian fluently - and I am used to smaller ensembles
> too, where things have to be adapted .......
>
>
> ============================================================
> ====================================================
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
> Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 11:01 PM
> To: horn@music.memphis.edu
> Subject: Re: [Hornlist] RE: Norma - horns
>
> If you're playing this with only two horns and the scoring
> calls for two two horn sections. It would be proper to cover
> parts one and three so you aren't missing the entire horn
> presence, only the second part harmony. The notation would
> then alert the two players to sections requiring the harmony
> to be covered rather than just covering the principal part
> of each two horn section.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hans.Pizka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: 'The Horn List' <horn@music.memphis.edu>
> Sent: Fri, 30 Jun 2006 22:56:39 +0200
> Subject: RE: [Hornlist] RE: Norma - horns
>
> They are not, be sure. If the orchestra would be a small
> orchestra, they would have horn 1 & 2 but not horn 3 & 4.
> =================================================
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
> Behalf Of Michael Henry
> Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 7:44 PM
> To: horn@music.memphis.edu
> Subject: [Hornlist] RE: Norma - horns
>
>
> Hans --
>
> This is just a guess, but perhaps this notation is for when
> the particular aria is performed as a "bleeding chunk" on a
> concert program?
> Assuming that horns 3 and 4 are the primary parts for this
> aria, it could then be performed by a smaller orchestra (2
> horns)?
>
> Regards,
>
> -Michael Henry
>
> ------------------------------
>
> message: 11
> date: Fri, 30 Jun 2006 14:54:56 +0200
> from: "Hans.Pizka" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> subject: [Hornlist] Norma - horns
>
> I played third horn last night for the opera "Norma" (same
> name as a very successful supermarket chain). Horns 1 & 2
> and 3 & 4 are set as pairs in the parts, but there is a spot
> near the Finale of the 2nd act, where horn 1 & 2 are
> inserted into the parts 3 & 4, just half notes & full 4/4
> held, a phrase of 4 measures in the middle range, but
> repeated a second time. The curious thing is it that there
> is a printed note : "in macanza die Corno Imo & Iido". Very
> curious, as it means "only be played if missing horn 1 & 2".
> How should this happen ? Sneaked out for pee, perhaps or
> more severe ? Could understand that in hot southern Italy,
> but normally ? How brainless can publishers be ?
>
> Off course, there are cases where it is appropriate to
> inscribe: "in macanza di Corno 3 & 4" or "in macanza di
> tromboni", as to be found in Beethovens Leonore 3 ouverture,
> so it can be played by a smaller orchestra with less winds.
> But "in macanza die Corno primo & secondo" ??? Very crazy
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