BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van
Sonata for horn and piano in F major, op. 17
I. Allegro moderato
Eric Reed, guest professor
Víctor Talayero Mocholi, student
Luis Arias Fernández, piano accompanist
After the full performance of the movement, Reed congratulates the student. He then makes a general recommendation regarding the position of the lips on the mouthpiece when emitting air and advises him to practice this in front of a mirror. Additionally, he discusses his sound and asks him to consider which vowel he uses most frequently when producing the sound. They experiment with playing the initial note using different vowels to compare the sound, and Reed also suggests using the tongue less. He further speaks about taking deep breaths to intake more air. They also address aspects related to air connection and articulation in several specific passages. Furthermore, the professor makes comments regarding dynamics.
All these suggestions from the professor aim to make the work more interesting, and he also asks the student how he can achieve this considering the character of this piece composed by a young Beethoven: very “dance-like,” light, brilliant… Reed generally recommends always thinking of adjectives that describe the music for him, and then imagining a personal experience that represents it in order to convey it while playing. They continue analyzing the character of various sections of the movement to achieve greater expressiveness in the performance and a sound consistent with it. Reed also considers how it would sound on a natural horn.
Language: English
