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Five hunting songs op.137

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Original Title: 
Jagdlieder op.137
Composer: 
Schumann, Robert
Year Composed: 
1849
Arranger: 
Martinet, Leigh
Year Arranged: 
2001
Original Instrumentation: 
Male choir & 4 horns
Type of Arrangement: 
Transcription
Availability: 
Commercial
Publisher: 
Baltimore Horn Club
Year Published: 
2001
Catalogue Number: 
BHC.79
Sheet Music Format: 

A4, Score (6) & parts (8x2=16)

Players
Number of Players: 
8
Additional Players: 
0
Approximate Duration: 
14
Technical Difficulty: 
Medium
Structure/Movements: 
5 songs:
I Zur hohen Jagd (To the high hunt): Sehr lebhaft (Very lively)
II Habet acht! (Be careful): Nicht schnell (not fast)
III Jagdmorgen (Morning of the hunt): Frisch (Brisk)
IV Fruhe (Early morning): Langsam (Slow)
V Bei der Flasche (Drinking song): Frisch (Brisk, vigorous)
Clefs: 
Treble, bass
Key signatures: 
3#, 1#, 4#, None
Meters: 
6/8, 3/4, C
Range: 
Horn 1: b - a2 (opt. c#3)
Horn 2: e - e2
Horn 3: g# - c#2
Horn 4: d - a1
Horn 5: g# - a2
Horn 6: g# - d2
Horn 7: e - b1
Horn 8: E - a1
Performance Notes: 

Schumann’s Five hunting songs op.137 were written in 1849, and are among a considerable number of vocal works Schumann wrote at that time. They consist of three fast and two slow songs, each one originally asking for a different transposition in the ad. lib. horns (except for the first and last, both are horn in D).

 

Martinet’s arrangement is in the same key as the original, all his parts however are in F. As the choral and horn parts in the original overlap quite a bit, eight horns are more than to preserve the complete harmonies and voices. They are divided into two sections of four each, usually one for the choir and the other for the quartet, and they alternate on theme and accompaniment. This also necessitates the independence of each section, which Martinet does in a, for him, unusual fashion by making each section a traditional style quartet (1-2-3-4). As the original horn quartet has the same distribution though, it was probably adapted.

 

For a couple of hunting songs, this arrangement comes highly recommended.

Credits: 

Access to review score: Nancy Joy (NMSU)