Greetings, I now have completed my set of recordings of all of published
horn ensemble music of Louis-Francois Dauprat's on Natural horn. The
latest releases are tuned at A=432.
The newest CD's are:
(CD18) Louis-Francois Duos opus 13 part 2 (duos 3, 5, & 6)
(CD19) Grand Sextet's opus 10 for natural horns in different keys and Grand
Trio's opus 4 for natural horns in E
(CD19a) Grand Trio opus 26 for natural horns in E
I have posted sample sound files of each movement on either
www.i-ching-music.com or www.naturalhorn.com there are a lot of sound
files, so the CD specific pages load a little slow.
A little about each piece:
Opus 13: Most natural horn enthusiast are familiar with Dauprat's
Duets opus 14 in different keys, in those, he really avoids the written
high A. After working on the opus 13 duets one understands why. If any
note is meant for only fast scales, it is that; it's a beastly note on
natural horn, which he used quite a bit in these opus 13 duets. It is
also interesting that he goes through his cycle of possible keys in these
duets for just Eb horn in a similar way that he did in opus 14.
Opus 10: His Grand sextets are his most popular works partially due
to his use of the High C horn, which results in high D for the modern
horn or concert G's above the treble clef staff! But to me they are
inspirational because of the difficulty of writing music for horns in
different keys and having it fit together so well.
Opus 4: I have know these since the 1970's as they were published by a
few different publishers then. They were common reading in horn groups.
Most of these trio recordings I did in one session.
Opus 26:
The last published and greatest work of Dauprat, from 1826, shows clear
signs of an influence by Beethoven. A five movement work of high art
and about the most chromatic piece I have ever seen for natural horn.
I have posted sample sound files of each movement on either
www.i-ching-music.com or www.naturalhorn.com there are a lot of sound
files, so the CD specific pages load a little slow.
Who was Dauprat?:
Louis-Francois Dauprat (1781-1868), celebrated professor of horn and
composer for this instrument, was born in Paris, May 24, 1781, and not
in 1792, as is stated in the Universal Lexikon der Tonkunst, published
by M. Schilling. Possessor of a nice voice, he was placed in Notre
Dame as a choir boy and did not leave it un-til the church was closed
during the revolutionary troubles. He was still a child when he became
passionately fond of the horn and it was this instrument he chose when
he entered the Conservatoire de Musique which was founded under the Title
of the Institut national de musique. His professor was Kenn, one of the
best Cor basses of this period. After six months of lessons, he became
a member of a band which Sarrette, director of the Conservatoire provided
for the camp des eleves de Mars, on la plaine de Sablons, near Paris.
Later he entered the band of a camp of twenty thousand men formed in the
Trou d'Enfer, near Marley. In 1799 he Joined the band of the garde des
consuls, and took part in the campaign of 1800, in Italy. On his return
to Paris, ho obtained his dismissal and was placed in the orchestra of
the Theatre Montansier. At the same time he returned to the Conservatoire
and Catel gave him lessons to harmony; then he was admitted to the class
of composition directed by Gossec and took a complete course. In 1806
an advantageous engagement in the Theatre de Bordeaux was offered to
Dauprat. He accepted it, remained in this city until 1808 and did not
return to Paris until he was called by the administration of the Opera
to replace Keen who had requested retirement. Some time afterwards,
Frederic Duvernoy being also retired, Dauprat was appointed to succeed
him as solo horn. After twenty - three years of service, he left this
theatre because the new ad-ministration in 1831 made certain terms which
he did not believe he should accept. Appointed in 1811 an honorary
member of the Chapel of Emperor Napoleon, he succeeded Domnich in the
Chapel of King Louis XVIII in 1816. In the same year he was made Professor
of horn in the Paris Conservatoire. In 1833 the chapel master Pa=EBr
appointed Dauprat for the part of Cor basse in the new royal band. When
he took his leave from the position of professor of horn at the Conservatoire
he had for his successor his student Gallay. Dauprat defended the natural
horn: 'Some have wished that by means of holes and keys the considerable
series of factitious sounds on the horn might be eliminated, while at
the same time and in the same way those that are totally lacking in the
low register would become possible. But this method, already applied
to the [keyed] trumpet, has changed the timbre of the instrument to the
point of giving it a quite peculiar character, creating an instrument
which is neither a trumpet nor any other known instrument. . ??2E.
The horn would probably fare likewise were it made to undergo similar
alterations: it would lose its character and the true quality of its
natural and factitious tones. Most of these latter have a charm that
is particularly theirs, and which serve, so to speak, for shadings and
nuances in contrast with the natural sounds. It must then be presumed
that, far from gaining by their complete removal, the horn would lose
a great deal. And what is said here about the various sounds of the
complete range of the instrument must obviously extend to the different
crooks. Each of these, taken by itself, has its own color, its timbre,
and its special character; but if they were all combined in a single
assembly, becoming but one and the same instrument, this instrument would
certainly have, if you will, the same range of low, high, and middle
sounds. However, the more the new inventions produce equality among all
the sounds, the more the characters, colors, and timbres of the individual
crooks would be distorted and confused.'
Richard Burdick
1st Horn Regina Symphony
Regina, SK Canada
Composer and natural hornist
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