Introduction

“Caprice: A kind of free music, in which the composer, without subjecting himself to any theme, gives free rein to his genius, and submits himself to the fire of composition.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau

In 1835, Jacques-François Gallay, regarded by Fétis as the ‘last great hand horn virtuoso in France’, composed Douze Grands Caprices which embody the capabilities of the instrument in its most virtuosic form. In the past few decades, as ‘Early Music’ develops, there is a renewed interest in hand horn playing, with an increasing number of horn players now pursuing historical horns as a specialisation. A new generation of players have also emerged who are capable of pushing beyond the boundaries and perceived capabilities encapsulated by Gallay in his Douze Grands Caprices.

This project aims to create an extension of the hand horn playing tradition, reflecting the capabilities and aesthetics of our time: a set of 12 new works for solo hand horn are being commissioned from 12 diverse composers.

The new works will be composed with the cor d’orchestre (orchestral hand horn) in mind, rather than the cor solo (inventionshorn) that was commonly used by virtuosi in the nineteenth century. The cor d’orchestre is undoubtably the most commonly used instrument today by most hand horn players, in particular students and professionals. Therefore, I feel it is the most sensible instrument to use that truly reflects hand horn playing of our present time.

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

A Guide to the Hand Horn

As a musician who regularly works with living composers and performs new compositions, I enjoy the collaborative processes between myself and others through fluid relationships as performer and composer. Composing for the modern horn is hard enough. I have seen composers who have either wrote something that is practically impossible, or too afraid to challenge the performer.

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!