Horn 1: b - a2
Horn 2: b - d2
Horn 3: b - d2
Horn 4: G - e1
Horn 5: e - g2
Horn 6: G - g1
Creator's Comments
Performance Notes
Rossini’s setting of the Stabat mater contains ten movements, six of which were written for a performance in Spain in 1833, and the remaining four added in 1842 for its final form that premiered in Paris. It has become a favourite in the choral repertoire, with four soloists, chorus, and an orchestra. Pro peccatis suae gentis, the 4th movement, is an aria for solo bass, with a bold, striding motive and a more reflective one.
When talking about a bass solo, the lowest horn in the ensemble comes to mind, and indeed it is horn 6 that gets featured in Martinet’s arrangement. After the unisono (in octaves) introduction, horn 6 takes over, right up to the key change into major where the melody moves into horn 1. For the remainder of the arrangement, horns 1 and 6 keep playing the melody either in octaves or by themselves, and the other four horns fill out the space in between.
In regards to keys used, the original A minor was transposed into C minor, probably to keep the range low (but not too low), in order to obtain the best tessitura for the solo horn (horn 6). Playing everything a third lower would certainly be possible, but as it is the ideal range was chosen, which makes this, for a change, a highlight for one the low players, rather than the usual high ones.