Sonate für das Waldhorn und Klavier in Eb dur

Techniques used
I tried to write this in a very classical idiom similar to that of Haydn. Instead of the extremely frilly pseudo Mozartian pieces so popular today. Though there is no real strict form to my piece, it does in some ways follow the popular style of the later half of the 18th century.

How long it took to compose
This took almost precisely one month to complete. The first movement and third movement took about the same time while the middle movement was a bit longer in its construction. I put in maybe an hour or two every 3-4 days and more on the weekends.

The piece's structure
Technically, it should have been a sonata-allegro form, however I did not really stay true to this. I tried but it doesn't seem too much like I succeeded.

Movement I- Mässig aber nicht zu langsam oder schnell (quarter=112)
Movement II- Langsam (quarter=56)
Movement III- Schnell aber nicht zu viel (quarter=132)

Obstacles you ran into when composing
For the most part I didn't really run into many problems, sometimes I had to experiment to find what I really wanted to use but I got the right result in the end.

An overall summary
I wrote this piece as a work for a friend I know (who plays horn) from the internet. He said he was going to play it at a recital so if he ever does and gets it recorded, I'll post a live recording. I really like this piece and think it is one of my better constructed works.

Alright let's see here:


Movement one: Solid opening. The theme is introduced well, and the horn entrance is constructed perfectly. Your sonata form is not as skewed, too. Well-structured to say the least here. I like the minor section, and the piano right hand. But your left hand could really use some work. It mostly causes the whole piece's harmonic structure to run dry. What I mean is, if you thickened up yoru piano writing, it would not only sound fuller, but it would flow more, and make it sound less..."amateurish" for lack of a better word. Ok, also, the piano isn't a violin. You have it play a lot of notes in a row. This also takes away from some of the better aspects of your piece. Perhaps do them in alternating octaves instead? The nice little mini cadenza is cool, although kind of boring. Nice trill haha, you saved it there. You need to show off the horn more...you have it doing like all quarter and eighth notes...have it do some arpeggios!! When the piano comes back in, its as solid as the horn entrance, which is good, and you end this movement well.

Movement two: It's nice. Your piano left hand is a little more interesting, and it kind of feels like a starry night. Definately one of the prettier things in the piece. harmonically thin, still, though.

Movement three: Fun! The best movement by far. Your counterpoint is naturally good in feel. Your harmony is again fuller, but sometimes orchestrated incorrectly or awkwardly. For example, in the beginning, your piano jumps an octave to a Major 2nd chord, which sounds kind of out of place, and oddly dissonant even though it fits the chord. If you lower it an octave or two, perhaps conceal it with other parts of the chord, it'll sound good. The horn isn't used much in this movement, but when it is, it kind of seems like an add-on instead of the star of the show. I realize this isn't a concerto, but this movement needs more horn! The dialogue just isn't there. Your chordal structure is the best in this movement, as I think I said before. Your harmony filled out, and the piano sounds more like it should. You do this especially well in 2:20-2:40. You also ended this movement well...definately the best of the three.

Getting better! My only SOLE complaint is: you use a grand total of 2 chords: I and V. Thats it. 2. E-flat and B-flat. That makes for EXTREMELY amateurish and boring music. However, you managed to spice it up well enough.

I think this can stay as a Major Work.

Good job!

Nico

There isn't much for me to say that Nico hasn't already said. I have the same complaint: I'm hearing I-V-I-V-I everywhere, which isn't a particularly interesting progression. Consider using different chords to lead into the V (IV and ii work well, and also consider secondarty dominants). Also, deceptive cadences can be useful. If you're going to write in the Classical idiom, you should at a minimum use the entire harmonic vocabulary that Haydn and contemporaries use.

As it is, this piece, especially the third movement, resembles Handel or Telemann at times.

The following are .mus files with a bunch of little comments added in certain places instead of typing them here and having you try to follow me. Hopefully this is easier.

II -> FPS horn sonata II - eSnips, share anything
III -> FPS horn sonata III - eSnips, share anything


I don't have the first movement with little comments, because I didn't get the idea until later. I did play through all 3 movements on my horn more than once, and I must so, they were actually quite enjoyable to play, even if I couldn't make it sound as delicate and innocent as you wrote it to be. (that means I'm not so good at horn yet. Shh.) It reminded me of classical Haydn.

There were a few things I did differently when I played, namely the cadenza, which I played my own except for a few bars of yours.

I'll post this now and let you check it out and I'll come back later with more to say.

talk about necroposting!

Well, I'm sorry, the piece came up in the Shoutbox and Austin asked me if I, since I was a horn player, was interested in seeing his horn sonata. And so I politely agreed.



I did notice though, that this work is of significantly lower stature than most of the current works posted in Major Works... did Major Works used to be a little more Minor? If this sonata was proposed to MW today, I'm sure it would get thrown in Chamber.

Well, I'm sorry, the piece came up in the Shoutbox and Austin asked me if I, since I was a horn player, was interested in seeing his horn sonata. And so I politely agreed.



I did notice though, that this work is of significantly lower stature than most of the current works posted in Major Works... did Major Works used to be a little more Minor? If this sonata was proposed to MW today, I'm sure it would get thrown in Chamber.

Actually, I remember us arguing about this work in the mod forum back when it was submitted (I was a reviewer once upon a time). There was a little bit of a debate, but he seemed to put lots of effort into it, so I voted yes, and here it went. I liked the piece, though, no lies.