MUP 513: ENTERPRETATION I

FINAL PROJECT

Prepared for:PM Dr. Chong

Prepared by:Mohd Adznan Bin Mokhtar (2013229906)

MARA University of Technology

11th June 2014

Horn concerto no.3 in E-flat major, K.447 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Mozart’s Horn concertos also have some issues in their publication histories, it because of the incomplete or fragmentary manuscripts. The composition featuring horn was written in about ten year period after Mozart’s move to Vienna in 1781. This piece was written in 1787. The instrumentation was originally Horn, strings, two bassoons and two clarinets. The third concertos consist of an allegro opening movement, a slow, lyrical middle movement, and a final rondo that emphasizes the horns as a hunting horn mood. Mozart compose this horn concerto is especially dedicated to his best friend Joseph Leutgeb. He is an Austrian Horn player. Though little is known about his early years in Vienna, he was a virtuoso horn player. With his great ability perform on the Natural Horn and mastery all the horn techniques such as lip trills, hand-stopping, and bending notes, will makes Mozart love to compose the concerto’s for him. Mozart wrote him in the 1780’s and 90’s. Leutgeb was mention in Mozart’s last letter as remained a friend to the end of Mozart’s life.

This horn concerto of course is a classical concerto that typically has three movements which is first movement allegro, second movement romance/larghetto and third movement allegro. It is a work for an instrumental solo instrument played by the soloist virtuosity and accompany by an orchestra.

In the first movement, the concerto begins with a movement in sonata form of a special kind, containing two expositions. The first part is played by the orchestra, which presents the several themes in the home key. This opening section sets the mood for the movement and leads us to expect the soloist’s entrance. The second exposition begins with the solo horn entrance with very gentle, but its effect is dramatic because the melody theme has been built with the orchestra. After the development section and followed by the recapitulation, there is a special unaccompanied showpiece for the soloist which is the cadenza. In the classical era, normally the soloist or from the composer itself, generally will improvised the cadenza. The cadenza will improvised through the melody theme of the concerto, and what becomes the cadenza unique, it is depends on the creativity and musicality of the soloist.

ALAN CIVILAlan Civil was born at Northampton, Britain in 1928. He died at the aged of 60. He was one of Britain’s most distinguished horn players. He was studied French horn under Aubrey Brain and Willy Von Stemm in Hamburg. Only 22 years old he finally becomes a horn principal at BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1950. In 1953, the conductor of Royal Philharmonic Orchestra recruited him as second horn player with Dennis Brain (Aubrey Brain son). When Brain

joined with Philharmonia, then he became a horn principal of the orchestra in 1955. But he became a substitute co-principal with Dennis Brain during a Philharmonia toured concert in America under Herbet Von Karajan. When in 1964, he was offered a post with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra by Karajan. He was the first player from outside Germany ever to have been honoured by such an approach and he would have accepted had not the Philharmonia players decided to become self-governing and re-form as the New Philharmonia.

His unique horn sound with full rounded tone, he has a lot of Mozart Concertos recording. When play with orchestra he love to played on Alexander double horn, but he used a single horn model for concertos and other solo works, and sometimes he also using natural horn for early music period. He also formed the Alan Civil horn Trio and from 1979 was president of the British Horn Society.

For the Civil interpretation in Mozart Horn Concerto no.3 when we hear the staccato, the articulation of the staccato is played with very smooth and light. Sometimes it is almost same with a portato but actually they are not same. When we talk about his tonguing techniques it is still same, he played with very smooth and light, the tonguing between note to note are cannot be separate obviously and he always attached to the next notes especially when he play a quaver notes. But we can hear on development part he start to change horn character sound turn into aggressive sound. Then back to the main theme of concerto his articulation change back into original interpretation.

DENNIS BRAINDennis Brain was born in London in 1921. He is the son of Aubrey Brain. His mother, Marion Beeley, who a contralto who sang the aria “Hail, Immemorial ind!” wrote by Edward Elgar sing in his opera The Crown of India. He was studied in Richmond Hill Preparatory Music School, London and the Royal Academy of Music. His father Aubrey Brain also one of the great horn player in Europe. Indirectly he studies a lot with his father. He also studied piano and organ. He started playing horn professionally while still at school and astounded his school mates with his incredibly fast, articulate playing.

His first performance in 6th October 1938, he was playing second horn with his father as a principal horn in Busch Chamber Players at the Queen’s Hall. At the age of 21 he already become a principal horn at National Symphony. He was principal horn in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra starting with its founding in 1946 and including a tour of the US in 1950, but his obligations to the Philharmonia Orchestra, formed in 1945, resulted in fewer and fewer services with the RPO. The Philharmonia toured the US East Coast in 1955.

When we discuss about Dennis Brain interpretation of playing this piece. When we hear the staccato he plays the notes are very short and strong. The articulations of the staccato play with very strong and energetic. The tonguing technique of Brain is difference with Civil. The tonguing between notes to notes is play separately to show the difference of rhythm. When he playing the rhythms he always remember that the shorter the notes must be loud other than the

longer notes and shorter the notes must be more accent. But on the development we cannot see any difference; his interpretation is still the same into the end of the movement.