Caprice Reimagined
Jacques-François Gallay, regarded by many as one of the last great hand horn players, composed Douze Grands Caprices in 1835, capturing the capabilities of the instrument in its most virtuosic form. In recent decades there has been a revival, with an increasing number of horn players specialising in natural horns. This project creates an extension of the hand horn playing tradition and reflects the capabilities of the contemporary hand horn player and the diverse musical aesthetics of our time: a set of twelve new works for solo hand horn – in response to Gallay’s Caprices – were commissioned from twelve living composers.
Almost all of the new music written for hand horn has been composed by horn players or composers with intimate knowledge of the instrument from a performer’s perspective. This lack of an ‘outsider’s perspective’ potentially mitigates the possibility for a substantial and diverse repertoire. In response, this project commissioned composers with no previous relationship with the hand horn. A “Guide to the Hand Horn” was created to provide a kaleidoscopic view of the historical, technical and musical capabilities of the hand horn from the performer’s perspective to provide a way in. Although cor solo was the instrument of choice for nineteenth century hand horn virtuosi, very few players now own one and the cor d’orchestre is the most common hand horn used by both students to professionals. Because this project aims to build repertoire (potentially to be used by others) all of the work was done on my cor d’orchestre made by Courtois Neveu Aîné.
The new commissions, alongside Gallay’s Caprices, are presented in two discs, which form the crux of the project.
The project is supported using public funding by Arts Council England as well as The Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust.
Commissions
Michael Finnissy
Six caprices (2021-2022) - Premiere: 20th June 2022, The Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham, UK, at the 12th Biennial International Conference on Music Since 1900
Dai Fujikura
ele (2021) - Premiere: 4th November 2021, Angela Burgess recital hall, Royal Academy of Music, London, UK
Rockey Sun Ketíng
Chuān II (2022) - Premiere: 8th April 2022, Susie Sainsbury Theatre. Royal Academy of Music, London, UK, at the European Platform for Artistic Research in music 2022
Robin Haigh
DOCK LEAF (2022) - Premiere: 8th July 2023, Casa Menotti, spoleto, Italy, at the 10th Edition of Musica da Casa Menotti, as part of the 66th Spoleto Festival Dei Due Mondi
Grace-Evangeline Mason
In the garden of a museum (2022) - Premiere: 27th April 2022, St Mary le strand Church, London, UK
Amanda Cole
Fabric of the Universe (2024) - Premiere: 20th October 2024, City Lit - Recital Room, London, UK, as part of Bloomsbury Festival
Lloyd Coleman
Sgraffito (2023) - Premiere: 27th September 2023, Angela Burgess recital hall, Royal Academy of Music, London, UK
Scott Wollschleger
YOU ARE PERFECT JUST AS YOU ARE (2023) - Online Premiere: 2nd February 2024
Timo Andres
Loud ciphers (2022) - Online Premiere: 1st August 2022
James B. Wilson
Chroma-Maxima (2024) - Premiere: 25th September 2024, Pförtnerhaus, Stella Vorarlberg Private University College for Music, Feldkirch, Austria
Electra Perivolaris
The Mastic Orchard (2023) - Premiere: 8th July 2023, Casa Menotti, spoleto, Italy, at the 10th Edition of Musica da Casa Menotti, as part of the 66th Spoleto Festival Dei Due Mondi
Georgia Scott
The Ghost in the machine (2024) - Premiere: 23rd March 2024,Trio Lorenz Hall, Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia, at the European Platform for Artistic Research in music 2024
Guide to the Hand Horn
In these videos, I would like to give you an overview of the technical details you need to know when you are composing for the hand horn, as well as an insight into what it feels to play the hand horn. They are by no means the answers to how you compose a virtuosic piece for hand horn, but an opening dialogue into the various possibilities the collaborative processes between you and I can take!