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Concerto No 1 for Horn and Symphonic Band

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Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss (trans. Anderson)


General Info

Year: 1883 / 1987
Duration: c. 17:05
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Horn and piano
Publisher: Thompson Edition
Cost: Score and Parts - $119.50   |   Score Only - $25.50


Movements

1. Allegro - 6:05
2. Andante - 5:41
3. Allegro - 5:45


Instrumentation

Full Score
Solo Horn in F
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra Alto Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Bells
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Snare Drum


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Concerto No. 1 for Horn and Wind Ensemble is considered a cornerstone work in horn literature. Strauss originally wrote the piece for his father Franz Strauss; however, he was not the soloist, ceding to one of his students, Bruno Hoyer, who later succeeded him as principal in the court orchestra. In any case, Strauss’s sister later recalled that their father struggled at home playing the fiendishly difficult work and that he never attempted it in public.

- Program Note by Kevin Goddu for the University of Massachusetts Lowell Wind Ensemble concert program, February 2017


In 1882–3 Richard Strauss wrote his Horn Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 11, in two versions, one for piano accompaniment and one with an orchestra (the horn part is the same). The horn concerto has become the most frequently performed horn concerto written in the 19th Century. The premiere with piano accompaniment was given in 1883 at Munich. The premiere with orchestral accompaniment in 1885 at Meiningen.

At the age of 18 whilst a philosophy student at Munich University, having recently completed his Violin Concerto and Cello Sonata, Strauss wrote his first horn concerto. His father Franz Strauss was one of the leading horn players of his day, and the fact that Richard grew up with the sound of the horn in his house led to his exploration of the great potential of the horn as both a solo and orchestral instrument. He had previously written a short piece for the solo horn (Two études for horn TrV 15, 1873), the concerto was the first trial piece he chose to write for the horn.

The version with orchestral accompaniment is entitled Waldhornkonzert, indicating that the concerto was to be played on the natural valveless horn (Waldhorn), which was the horn of preference played by his father (although Franz also played the valved F horn). Whilst it is technically possible to play the concerto on an E-flat natural horn, in practice it would be impossible to give a convincing performance. Alan Jefferson speculates that the title might in fact be a father-son joke.

The early public performances would have been made using the valved F single horn, which was indicated in the score in later editions (although the orchestral horns were still specified as E-flat natural horns). In practice, all of the modern performances and recordings are played on the valved F double-horn which was developed at the end of the 19th century. When the concerto was written, the use of natural horns was still common. Strauss himself went on to fully exploit the possibilities of the valved horn in his tone poems starting with Don Juan, written just a few years later.

The composition is typical of Strauss' music at this time in being Romantic in style, showing the influence of Mendelssohn.

- Program Note from Wikipedia


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Central Florida Winds (Titusville) (Richard Sabino, conductor; Rick Collins, horn) - 8 October 2022
  • University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus Lakeshore Wind Ensemble (Mark Sackman, conductor; Adam Nelson, horn) – 7 March 2020
  • United States Army Band (Ft. Myer, Va.) (James Landrum, conductor; Jeffrey Anderson, tuba) – 8 February 2020
  • Kennesaw (Ga.) State University Wind Ensemble (David T. Kehler, conductor; Richard Williams, horn) – 14 November 2019
  • Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Terry Austin, conductor) – 21 February 2018
  • United States Military Academy Band (West point, N.Y.) (Tod Addison, conductor; Nicole Calouri, horn) – 4 September 2017
  • United States Coast Guard Band (New London, Conn.) (Richard Wyman, conductor; Matthew Muehl-Miller) – 19 March 2017
  • Cuesta Wind Ensemble (Jennifer Martin, conductor; Jamie Clark, French horn) - 15 May 2013
  • Lake Oswego High School Wind Ensemble (Dave Matthys, conductor; Arjun Bhargava, French horn) - 16 January 2010


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

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