MUSIC FOR UNACCOMPANIED HORN
UNACCOMPANIED HORN REPERTOIRE
This page explores a repertoire of music for unaccompanied horn. The collection features contemporary horn solos and unaccompanied horn compositions, highlighting modern horn repertoire with innovative and avant-garde horn solos.
SIX PIECES FOR SOLO HORN
for unaccompanied horn
Duration:
11'30" minutes
Instrumentation:
French horn solo
Year Composed:
1995
Written For:
Jacqueline O’Dell
Premiere Performance:
Jerusalem, Israel
Jacqueline O’Dell, French horn
Movements:
1. molto sostenuto
2. quarter=60
3. rubato
4. presto
5. rubato
6. with arrogance
Recording:
Not yet available. This piece is frequently programmed without a recording.
About Dunes
Six Pieces for Solo Horn is an 11½‑minute suite of concise character studies, each movement portraying a distinct personality through contrasting colors, articulations, and expressive attitudes. Written for Jacqueline O’Dell, the work explores the horn’s wide emotional and timbral range, from lyrical introspection to rhythmic drive and bold, declarative gestures. The six movements can be performed as a complete set or excerpted individually.
For the Performers
Level: Suitable for advanced students and professional horn players; the writing focuses on color, phrasing, and character contrast.
Programming: Works well in contemporary recitals, character‑themed programs, competitions requiring short contrasting movements, and as a modern addition to solo horn sets.
Competitions: Effective for juries that value tone control, expressive variety, and interpretive clarity; the six‑movement structure showcases rapid shifts in mood and style.
Extended Techniques: None required — the piece relies on traditional horn writing shaped through expressive nuance and contrast.
Venue Fit: Strong in intimate or resonant spaces.
Program Notes
In Six Pieces for Horn Solo, each of the six pieces represents a character, a real person whom I knew. I found that the horn, with its register and timbre contrasts, could best represent the psychological qualities of the six characters and tell us their unwritten story. Some characters are peaceful, some are agitated, and one character even fights with itself. I leave it to the listener to decide who is who.