15 pieces for horn op.180 - Volume 3: 2 pieces for 4 horns or 4 trumpets in D (Nos. 2 and 8)
Original Title
15 pieces pour le cor - Volume 3: 2 pieces pour 4 cors ou 4 tromps en re (nos. 2 et 8)
Composer
Koechlin, Charles
Year
1942
Editor
Bourgue, Daniel
Arranger
Year Arranged
Original Instrumentation
Type of Arrangement
Availability
1
Publisher
Gerard Billaudot
Year Published
1984
Catalogue Number
G 3868 B
Sheet Music Format
A4, Score (5) & parts (2,2,2,1=7)
Horns
4
Additional Equipment
Others
Other Instruments
Difficulty
2
Duration
4
Structure / Movements
2 pieces:
No.8: Nocturne
No.2: Allegro
Clefs
Treble, bass (old notation)
Meters
6/8
Key signatures
None (but horns in D, so 3# in F)
Range
Horn 1: e1 - b2
Horn 2: e - b2
Horn 3: A - e2
Horn 4: A - b1
Creator's Comments
(Notes by Daniel Bourgue in French in the score)
Performance Notes
These are two pieces for horns in D in 6/8 from Koechlin’s 15 pieces for horn op..180. There are only two basic rhythms used, a crotchet – quaver (quarter – eight note) alteration, and a three / six quaver (eight note) succession (what one would expect from “hunting” music). In fact, no.2 sounds very much like a hunting quartet in D, while no.8 looks like one, but due to the slower tempo sounds more lyrical.
The distribution of parts follows the traditional quartet arrangement, 1-2-3-4. While not difficult in terms of rhythm and phrasing, it is the transposition (there are quite a few accidentals) and extended range that put this publication into the difficult level. For an advanced quartet, these are two fun, though short pieces.