French Horn

Marvellous Instruments n° 5

Music

This is another instrument that is not well loved by most of us.
And yet – it is a brass instrument, it has all the slow and powerful warmth of the brass instruments.
And all the strange depth of the breath, of the low breaths which resound for a long time.

Attributed to the splendors of the artistocratic hunts, it has been difficult for this instrument to get rid of the idea of the hunt, of the stalked foxes, of the deer fleeing from the pickers – and all that embellished with the hunting horns.

Here are some examples of proposals that could easily reconnect our hearts with this instrument – and remove the idea that it is an old aristocrat stuff.

With Back to the Future, do you honestly think you’ll be stunned by overly antique antiques?
Do you tell me to my face that you won’t listen because you’d be afraid to dream of being a deer chased by horns? Come on, don’t make me laugh.

Should I mention that when the program announces Jazz, then it is Jazz that you will hear?
And this is how the horn definitely comes out of its forests :

And if it occurs to me to look for a hook for an audience far, far away from this instrument, then I don’t hesitate for a second and pull out the heavy guns – favorite, beloved, cult films and whatever else, even more favorite, beloved and more-than-cult composers – with in the middle of all this aura of glories, my fabulous French Horn :

You will notice that I have not selected the great horn tunes, the so great classical tunes.
That’s quite right – I must confess that it’s not out of ignorance, so I’m not innocent on this subject.

Let’s put – well, please… put – do me the grace of – in short, the audience I’m aiming for in the first place goes back 30,000 miles if I program the great classical tunes first.
These, if they are to be appreciated, and even loved, I find it wise to place them in the second line – once the hearts have wavered.
Before that, I’d say it’s pure suicide.

Of course, I could be wrong.

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