@Paul McGraw said:
I had an interesting comment sent by PM on another forum about the first two movements of this symphony. The PM was from a horn player, who....thought I was being too conservative on horn range. He felt the first horn should go up to high C or D (concert) and the 4th horn should go down to a low A (concert).
I try to limit my horn range to a high B concert for first horn and a low E concert. for fourth horn. Am I being too conservative?
I know you weren't asking me, but I was hoping to get some clarification on a couple of points and then, if I may, offer some thoughts.
I'm wondering if we are all talking about apples here or if there may be a few references to oranges mixed in. When we in the horn biz use the term "high C," we are usually talking about the written C above the treble staff in our transposed F horn parts. This is actually F5 concert. So, if your correspondent is suggesting that you consider extending the upper range of your horn parts to a high C or D concert, he would have to mean the notes a fourth and a third lower than this. The C concert (F horn written G on the top of the staff) is a common note that any competent hornist can expect to see at any time. The D concert a step higher is getting a little more interesting but is still commonly seen.
The other end is not so obvious. Double horns have the strange ability to go chromatically right down to the pedal notes, but these get virtually unplayable below a certain point. Most books that assume you are playing a double horn expect you to get down to Bb1 concert, but I've seen G concert below that in some tunes.
I've known freaks that can extend the top end to F6 and the bottom into the true pedal range of the F horn, but this stuff is rarely called for (for good reason!). So, what really sounds good for horn? I think that our ears tell us "Yes! The voice of the horn!" when they hear melodies singing in concert pitches from about F below middle C to about an octave and a step above middle C. Venture higher than that for really plaintive solo stuff (Pavane for a Dead Princess) or go all-hands-on-deck for goose bumps at the end of something spectacular (the 2nd statement of the famous theme in Don Juan). The lower notes tend to have 2 uses: the bass voice in a horn quartet (this is something of a specialist position) or all four in unison for a gnarly, mysterious, growling melody (Shostakovich's 5th, Finale). The latter effect is best written for Wagner tubas, if available.
I hope this is of some value. Others may think I'm all wet on this; these are strictly my opinions from long years in the saddle. Again, I really enjoyed your walk in the woods.
Sincerely,
Tom
Thank you so much for the clarification. I believe you are exactly right about his point regarding the high register. In fact he worded his reasoning in a very similar way to your wording. So I suppose I can feel safe letting a first horn go up to a written G or A. That seems clear.
The lower notes are less clear. I played trombone all of my life, so I know that for tenor trombone, it is very possible to play the pedal tones. I always began my warmups playing them. But few players can play a full range of dynamics and have much musicianhip when playing pedal tones. A seasoned trombone player can handle the F below the bass clef with a full range of dynamics and musicianship. Even a moderately advanced player should be able to handle the G.
So where would the equivalent be on the horn? With a full range of dynamics and good musicianship for an average player?
Thanks! And thanks for the positive comments. It means a lot to me!
Paul