Handel's Horn and Trombone Parts

Author(s): W. F. H. Blandford
Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 80, No. 1160 (Oct., 1939), pp. 697-699
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/921745
Accessed: 08-10-2018 05:45 UTC

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 THE MUSICAL TIMES
AND SINGING-CLASS CIRCULAR
OCTOBER 1939

CONTENTS
Page Page
Handel's Horn and Trombone Parts. By W. F. H. Blandford ... 697 Church and Organ Music-continued:
The Happy Pianist. By Alec Robertson .... ... ... 699 Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... .... 721
Of This and That. By W. R. Anderson ... ...... ... 701 Recitals ... .... ... ... ... .. ... ... 722
Music in the Home Circle .... .... .... ... ..... ... 702 Letters to the Editor ......... ...... .. 722
Music in the Foreign Press. By M.-D. Calvocoressi ... ... 703 Notes and News ........... ....... ... 727
The Musician's Bookshelf .. .. ....... .. 705 Amateurs' Exchange ....... ... ... .. 729
New Music ............. ... .. ... . ... 707 Academy and College Notes . ........... ... 729
Gramophone Notes. By W. McNaught ... ...... .. 710 Music in Public Schools .............. .. 730
A Wireless Note. By W. R. Anderson .......... . 712 Musical Notes from Abroad ....... ... ... ... 731
Ad Libitum. By ' Feste ' .... ..... .... ... ... 712
Teachers' Department : MUSIC :
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music :'Break
Notes on the
Thou the Bread of Life.' Introit. By Harold Hall ... 717
Music for the Piano Examinations. By E. Markham Lee ... 715
Answers to Correspondents . ... ... ...... .. 716 THE FOLLOWING EXTRA SUPPLEMENT IS ALSO GIVEN WITH THIS
Church and Organ Music : NUMBER :
Royal College of Organists ......... ... ... 720
The Choir School of St. Thomas Church, New York 'Ere we leave Thy House, O Father.' Vesper Hymn for use in time
City.
By T. Tertius Noble ......... ..... ....... 720 of war. By Ernest Harrison.

Handel's Horn and Trombone Parts

By W. F. H. BLANDFORD
IN the June Musical Times a correspondent and ' Susanna ' ; in ' Israel in Egypt ' and ' Saul '
stated that, although horns and trombones their place is amply supplied by trombones.
appear occasionally in Bach's scores, they were Three-fourths of the operas have horn parts in
never, so far as he knows, used by Handel and are one or more numbers, and many of the secular
not to be found in the scores of his English con- works not classed as opera or oratorio have parts.
temporaries. It is an incorrect statement, which Even when a work contains none, it is unsafe to
a little further research would have saved him assume that no horns were used at the perform-
from making. But its importance lies not so ances, should it contain trumpet parts in D that
much in the personal aspect as in the evidence may be doubled. Handel was fond of writing for
it affords that the instrumentation of Bach, who horns in D doubling the trumpets an octave
never wrote a line for British ears, is now more lower ('Athalia,' 'Deborah,' ' Deidamia,' Fire-
familiar than that of his contemporary, whose works Music, etc.). The records of the Foundling
music was the glory of the English stage and Hospital show that at a performance of 'Messiah'
concert-room during the eighteenth and much of in 1759 two horn-players were among the paid
the nineteenth century-a striking proof of the performers; and Ebenezer Prout, by examining
comparative disfavour into which Handel's music the orchestral and choral parts used on that
has fallen. occasion, has proved that they were consecutively
No doubt this familiarity with Bach's scores numbered from orchestra to chorus, without any
owes much to the publication of the late number
C. S. being missing or any part for the horns
Terry's 'Bach's Orchestra,' which, save on a being provided, and that the horns must therefore
few unsolved or debatable points, leaves nothing have doubled the trumpets, playing from the
further to be said on the subject. Handel's same copies.*
orchestra, so closely resembling Bach's, has never Handel wrote for the horn in six keys, B flat
been so generously or comprehensively treated. alto, A, G, F, E flat, and D, which are distributed
Disregarding British contemporaries, I shall among the forty-three works I have referred to
attempt to give some account of the use of hornsin manner following. F is the only key used in
and trombones in Handel's scores, based on an* nineteen works, D in four, G in three, and B flat
alto and E flat in one each ; both F and D are
examination of his nineteen English oratorios,
his operas from 1720, his English Serenatas and required in nine works, F and G in four, and D
Odes, and sundry other works, such as the Water and G in one; in a single work A, G, F, and D
and Fireworks Music. I have not thought it are all employed. Clearly F, in which more than
necessary to examine most of his earlier works or half the total number of parts are placed, was
English church music. If there are any hornthen regarded as by far the most valuable key
of the instrument. This accords with Johann
parts in the latter, which I doubt, they will not Mattheson's statement in 'Das neu-er6ffnete
materially affect my statements.
Orchester,' 1713, and also with modern practice.
The Horn But during much of the reign of the stopped-
Out of sixty major works examined, horns are horn, in the last quarter of the eighteenth and
found to have been used in no less than forty- the first half of the nineteenth century, the
three. Of the oratorios, horn parts are present in tendency was to regard E flat as the ideal key.
twelve, but are absent in ' Belshazzar,' ' Esther,' * E. Prout. 'Handel's Wind Parts to the "Messiah,"' Monthly
'Israel in Egypt,' ' Joseph,' ' Messiah,' ' Saul' Musical Record, April 1894, 73-6.
B

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 698 THE MUSICAL TIMES October 1939

Next to the F horn Following in order ' Radamisto,'

of Handel composed four
frequency comes
the horn in D, but this is due to its association operas in 1721-23, of which one only, ' Floridante'
with the trumpet. Handel does not often use it (1721), contained horn parts, also in D, to two
by itself (' Arianna,' ' Ariodante,' ' Radamisto ').Marches, a Sinfonia, and the final chorus. Then
Its tone, though fine, is rather heavy and itsin 1723 came a fifth opera, ' Giulio Cesare,' in
speech too slow to be really effective in solo parts.which, at his third essay at writing operatic horn
The G horn makes its appearance in the scoresparts, Handel anticipated general musical prac-
chiefly when a brilliant or triumphal effect is tice by the greater part of a century. In Act I
desired (Overture to ' Samson,' March in 'Scipio,' the chorus, ' Viva il nostro Alcide,' requires two
'See, the conquering hero comes' in 'Joshua,' horns in A, and two in D, besides a single horn
in F in the aria ' Va tacito.' In Act III a Sinfonia
etc.). Some of the parts in this key are among
the most difficult the Handelian horn-player hasand the final chorus, 'Ritorni ormai,' employ
to face. two horns in G and two in D. In the Sinfonia the
The three remaining keys each appear oncetwo pairs, except in about three bars, play
alternately in correspondence with the key in
only : Horns in B flat alto in ' Atalanta,' in A in
' Giulio Cesare,' and a single horn in E flat in which the movement happens then to be. In
' L'Allegro.' It is impossible to form any con- the choruses, however, the four horns are used
jecture why none of these keys was used a second together, and furnish the earliest known example
time. of the combined harmony of two pairs in tonic
Following the general practice of his time, and dominant keys. In places, the writing
Handel normally wrote for a pair of horns in the for horns in this opera makes extreme demands
same key; but, if he wished to double three on the player - a point fully dealt with by
trumpets, he specified three horns (' Deborah,' Forsyth.
Fireworks Music). As the latter work was It is often stated that the earliest orchestra
intended for open-air performance, he assigned horn parts were played on simple instruments
three players to each trumpet and horn part, thus unfurnished with crooks. No doubt this was so;
arriving at a grand total of eighteen brass-players. but it is impossible to determine when, and to
Occasionally he used a single horn for an obbligato what extent, the doubtless gradual change-over
or solo passage. An obbligato for F horn to the took place. For 'Giulio Cesare' seven horns
aria ' Va tacito ' in ' Giulio Cesare,' one for horn without crooks would be required, four of them
in E flat to the bass air 'Mirth, admit me' in in A and G, keys not often associated with the
' L'Allegro,' two or three charming phrases in an simple uncrooked horn. These parts afford there-
'Air' in the Water Music, and a difficult solo for fore, to my mind, a presumption that they were
horn in F in the Concerto a due Cori No. II in F, played on horns with detachable crooks. These
first printed by Chrysander in the Handel- would be cheaper than the number of separate
Gesellschaft (H.-G.) edition, are all I have noted. instruments they would replace. The principle of
The words associated with the two obbligati the detachable crook was then perfectly familiar,
relate to the chase, which accounts for the use of and there would be no difficulty in construction.
the horn. 'Va tacito' was sung at the Handel It may be assumed that such horns came into
Commemoration Festival in 1784, and Burney use directly the instrument was regarded as a
remarks : ' The French-horn part, which is almost regular orchestral component. It has more than
a perfect echo to the voice, has never been equalled once been stated that horns with six crooks were
in any Air, so accomplished, that I remember.'* made in Vienna in 1718, but no contemporary
It would be of great interest to hear a revival of evidence of this appears to have been published.
this air. Such horns are known to have been sold in
Handel's one great innovation in this depart- London in 1735, but were not necessarily a
ment of the orchestra was undoubtedly the novelty at that date.
employment of four horns in ' Giulio Cesare.' For some unknown reason, the experiment of
This is discussed by Cecil Forsyth (' Orchestra- ' Giulio Cesare,' brilliant as it was in inspiration,
tion,' 2nd ed., 1935, pp. 495-6) but calls for some was never repeated by Handel in opera, in which,
mention here, especially in regard to the date of as in other vocal works, he afterwards limited
composition. The earliest Handelian horn parts himself to a pair of horns (or if accompanying
that can be positively dated are, I believe, those the trumpets, three). He did, however, employ
in the Water Music, which Newman Flower places four horns in certain unfamiliarworks, namely, the
in 1717, not, as formerly stated, 1715. Handel's three concerti which Chrysander called Concerto
first operatic parts, which introduced the horn to A, Concerto B, and the before-mentioned Con-
the opera in the Haymarket, were in ' Rada- certo a due Cori No. II, all printed in the H.-G.
misto' (1720). Here horns in D are used in a edition, pt. xlvii. For the details of these works
single number and make small demands on the and the relation of the two former to the Fire-
players' skill, the compass, even of the first horn, works Music, reference must be made to Chry-
extending only from the third to the twelfth open sander's commentary. Concerto A is scored for
note (in real sounds A to a'), a range lower than four horns in F, two oboes, bassoons, strings and
that of any other Handelian horn parts. Inciden- organ; Concerto B, for two trumpets, four horns
tally, these parts are written transposed up anin D, two oboes, bassoons, strings and organ.
octave, but not otherwise, being in D with key- The Concerto a due Cori is laid out for strings and
signature. Except in this key, Handel wrote for two wind choirs, each of two horns in F, two
his horns as transposing instruments in C. oboes, and bassoons. The latter work, in nine
* C. Burney. 'An Account of the Musical Performances... in
movements, with the beginnings of a tenth,
Commemoration of Handel,' ILondon, 1785, p. 53. has extensive and important horn parts, and is

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 October 1939 THE MUSICAL TIMES 699

occasionally played,Besides at the above concerti,

least ina few minor or I noted it
part.
as having been given fragmentary
byinstrumental
the B.B.C. works by HandelOrchestra o
January 20, 1937. As the horns are all in the contain horn parts, such as two Arias ' pour deux
same key, it does not solve the problems set by Come de Chasse,' two oboes and continuo in the
using two pairs in tonic and dominant, as in British Museum. The most interesting of these,
' Giulio Cesare.' It is worthy of note that in this however, is an ' Overture ' in five movements for
concerto the horn parts, which occupy eleven two Clarinets and Corno di caccia, in the Fitz-
pages in Gumbert's ' Solobuch foir Horn,' do not william Museum, Cambridge, said to be Handel's
contain a single note in any part below the fourth only composition for the clarinet. According to
open note (c'), the second and third harmonics, the editors of the Catalogue, it should have string
which make so valuable a foundation to any horn parts, which are missing. This deficiency has
chord in which they are used, being neglected. not prevented an energetic concert-giver from
Handel's idea of the horn's available range had presenting the work in its existing form. The
decidedly altered since ' Radamisto.' part for horn in D is not strikingly difficult.
(To be continued)

The Happy Pianist-II

By ALEC ROBERTSON
WE have now to discuss the question of the No doubt all this sounds very solemn and
happy pianist's repertoire for private and portentous put down in black and white, but the
public performance. To go into this pianist who does not respect his art and take it
matter at all thoroughly would require a large seriously is doing it a grave disservice. This does
book, and this brief article can do little more than not mean that he should adopt a lofty attitude
touch upon the fringe of the subject ; but it willtowards musical frivolity if he is called upon to
at least, perhaps, give the pianist some foundationstake part in it, nor should he lose his sense of
and some clues for the treasure-hunt. humour.

A word, first of all, about public performance. What, then, is the pianist to play ? I will say
No one has a right to ask a pianist to cast nothinghis here of the reasonable proportion of
pearls-even if modestly assessed as only Wool- familiar works which he should make his own,
worth-before swine ; but experience shows that except once again to beg that these should be
time and again even persons usually discerning well within his powers.
ask their musical guests to perform before hope- My list begins, more or less, at the point where
lessly mixed gatherings. Yet the presence of the even repertoire chosen from well-known sources
one unsympathetic listener is able to produce leaves
a off. No music is easy to play, however
sort of paralysis in the sensitive performer, easy the the notes may be, and so the performer
result being a perfunctory and, possibly, an should not scorn some simple pieces in the
inaccurate performance. following list. To play them really well will test
If such listeners are known to be present, it is his ability as an artist more than will the per-
right to refuse to play ; using tact, of course, and formance of difficult and showy pieces. More-
even the excuse of a sudden attack of neuritis, if over, it is well to begin with something techni-
the request is too pressing ! On the other hand, cally simple if one is nervous-as one should be-
the performer must learn to gauge the musical and the piano is unfamiliar.
capacity of his audience. This is a truism, but it The collection of ' Ayres and Dances ' edited
is often ignored. People may be genuinely by Frederick Moore (Paterson), 'Old English
musical, but limited, like a cheap radio set, in Masters for the Harpsichord' edited by A. M.
their receiving range. We must play to them on Henderson (Bayley & Ferguson) contain lovely
a wave-length they can get. pieces by such composers as Farnaby, Byrd,
Gibbons and Purcell which meet the case well
As the pianist's audience will seldom be com-and deserve to be better known. Each book costs
posed of more than a few people, one or two 2s. 6d. For a discerning audience (and pianist!)
leading questions should settle the matter. And
there are many interesting pieces by sixteenth-
if two or three listeners show a great diversity of
and seventeenth-century Italian, German, French,
taste the pianist will have a chance to show nicely-
English and Spanish composers in the first ten
balanced judgment in his choice of pieces!
volumes of the great Tagliapetra collection
The interpretation of a piece of music is a
(Ricordi, about 7s. 6d. a volume), and an abund-
responsible task not lightly to be entered upon, ance of good sight-reading material.*
and in justice to the composer nothing should be
A collection of ' Gigues and Toccatas' by
played that has not been thoroughly studied. French, Italian and German composers, edited by
One other word of advice. Having so often
Frederick Moore (Paterson, 2s. 6d.), will act as an
observed the opposite, I beg the pianist not to sitexcellent corrective to too much music in slow
down at the piano and dash straight away into
time-a not unusual fault in repertoire-making--
his piece. He should compose himself com- and a lot of charming material of this kind will
fortably, get his music ready to be turned over,be found in the series 'I Classici della Musica
announce what he is going to play, perhaps com-
ment upon it a little, and not play a note beforeto*Schumann
There are some excellent small collections ranging from Bach
(and many interesting modern works) to be found in
there is silence. the piano catalogue of Novello's Foreign Music Department.
B2

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