American Horn Quartet

One thing (among many) that I am grateful for this course for is that I have used it to force myself out of my comfort zone when it comes to brass ensembles. I tend to only stick to groups that feature the trumpet. For this post I set out to listen to horn quartets and here is what I found.

A group that I had heard of but never really listened to is the American Horn Quartet. I used them on a presentation in class, but decided to look a little further.  The American Horn Quartet formed over 28 years ago. According to their website biography they are known for composing, arranging, and commissioning new works for the horn quartet genre. Interestingly enough, all four (American) original members were living in Europe at the time the group was founded.

What I wanted to share with you today is their Horn Quart No. 3 for horns, Op. 18, by Kerry Turner (A member of the quartet). 

Here is the program note for the piece:

"Prizewinner, IHS Composition Competition 1993. The Quartet Nr. 3 for Horn Quartet was written in the summer of 1992. It was designed to be the main work of any horn quartet concert. Other than the quartets by P. Hindemith, M. Tippett and K. Turner, there is a definite need for major, multi-movement works in the quartet repertoire. In order to avoid taxing one solo player against 3 accompanying players, the composer preferred to render all voices absolutely equal, each voice being equally virtuosic, solistic, and melodic. There are 4 movements: The Sooners, The Homesteaders, the Ghost Town Parade, and Finale. Each movement's title is merely an accurate description of what the composer had in mind while composing, and is not meant to have a story or programmatic idee fixe, although it is rather clear that the composer's thoughts are in the American West sometime in the 19th century. Quartet Nr. 3 is approximately 17 minutes in length, and spans nearly 4 octaves."

I am sharing just the first movement, The Sooners, though I highly recommend the whole piece! It is incredible to watch these players perform such a challenging work. What I really like about this video is the intensity they play with. I hear this movement as 'Heroic,' and their technique and agility fit that perfectly. 

Enjoy!