Music and Texts of GARY BACHLUND
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Concerto for Horn in F and Strings - (2023)
The solo horn begins the work with a simple gesture, the divisi violins responding with the four chords with the common tone, B, for C major 7, E major 7, B major 7 and G major 7. This harmonic scheme influences the work in a number of ways which are worked out in sequence. At measure 20, the principal themes of the first movement are stated forte.
The andante is followed with a textural and mood change in the adagio.
The adagio yields to an adagietto, the harmonic wash of changing triadic colors from the divisi strings and crescendi / diminuendi serve as background to the solo lines of the horn and the bass voices, arco and pizzicato as counterpoint.
As the adagietto dissolves quietly, a waltz is taken up, darker and with canonic relations between solo horn and strings.
The waltz-time allegro yields to a prestissimo, the head motive to the movement is sung out by horn and with close, changing seven chord harmonies as worked in other ways earlier in the work. The horn then leads a set of contrappunti as canons pile on one another, to the final cadence and a short reprise from the first andante.
27 pages, circa 15' 00" - an MP3 emulation of the work is here:
The score and parts are available as a free PDF download, though any major commercial performance or recording of the work is prohibited without prior arrangement with the composer. Click on the graphic below for this score.
Concerto for Horn in F and Strings
