In the last blog, we shared the high pitched role of trumpet in the brass orchestra. Did you listen to the trumpet carefully? Do you feel that each appearance of trumpet can lead the orchestra to different emotions and climaxes?
When listening to the interpretation of trumpet in the orchestra, did you find a soft voice? Did you hear the timbre of woodwind instruments in a brass orchestra? This is the characteristics of the horn/French horn, which will be introduced to you today by Six Months Rebellion Music.
Horn/French horn:
The horn can also be called the French horn. The reason why it has this name is that it is widely used by French composers in orchestras and operas, and has a reputationin French music. But you should know that the origin of the horn is actually Britain.
In the last blog, we introduced that the trumpet is a musical instrument responsible for the high voice part. Can you feel the unique charm of the horn after enjoying this music? As early as the 18th century, the horn, as a brass instrument, was often used by composers in the woodwind part, because its sound was very colorful, and it also had a good performance in the wind orchestra. If we observe the performance of the horn in wind bands and orchestras, we will find that the horn can not only serve as harmony, polyphony and other voice parts, but also serve as some voice parts with special emotions and special musical colors. At the same time, the horn has the broadest range of all brass instruments, so it can be responsible for connecting the timbre of woodwind instruments and brass instruments. It can also serve as a bridge to support and connect. Therefore, the horn is a very important instrument in the band, and it is also very special.
The horn has a curved conical tube, and its horn mouth is funnel shaped, and its bell mouth is relatively large. The keyboard is also an important part of the horn. A horn can usually play four octaves, which is a very rare thing for brass instruments. Although the fingering skills arenot complicated, it is just a simple fingering that requires the player to have a strong control over breath, so it is not easy to play the horn well.
Strauss Jr. The Blue Danube, Horn Solo (2021)
Let's enjoy the Blue Danube by John Strauss. Do you feel the soft, charming and brilliant tone of the horn? The difference between the horn and the trumpet is that the former has a soft, elegant and mysterious color. Can you feel the waves along the Danube described by Strauss? Sometimes it is deep and elegant, sometimes it is murmuring softly, sometimes it is choppy. All these feelings can be expressed through the horn. Therefore, composers such as Mozart, Schumann, Brahms and so on have a high evaluation of the horn. Among them, Brahms believed that the horn voice was very warm and solemn. He also created the Horn Trio Op.40 to remember his mother, which also showed the position of the horn in his heart.
Brahms : Trio pour cor violon et piano en Mi bémol Majeur op 40
Bass area: The tone in the bass area of the horn is very mellow, and in this thick feeling, we can also hear some soft and gentle colors, giving people a sense of steadinessand comfort. It seems that we are surrounded by a firm, warm and safe voice, which makes people feel peaceful and comfortable.
Midrange: The midrange is also the most widely used range of the horn. The timbre of this range is very full, light, bright, and also very soft and emotional. If the low pitch area of the horn can make people feel safe and steady, the mid pitch area of the horn can better play some lyrical melodies. Its timbre can make the music full of singing, can express the brilliance of the music background, can also express the infinite artistic conception and deep meaning of the phrase, can express deep sorrow and can also express elegant melody, which is very suitable for expressing emotional color.
Treble area: The treble area of the horn has some tension, and its timbre becomes very prominent in the ensemble. Although the horn is a brass instrument, its treble does not have the loud and clear sense that a brass instrument should have. On the contrary, its treble timbre can still give a stable, solid and brilliant feeling.