RHEINBERGER, Joseph
Sonata for horn and piano in E-flat major, Op. 178
I. Con moto
Eric Reed, guest professor
Sofía de Miguel Hoyuelos, student
Luis Arias Fernández, collaborative pianist
After the complete performance of the first movement of the Sonata, Reed congratulates the student and asks her what she knows about the composer. The professor considers it important to know the composer, his era and context, for which instruments he liked to compose, etc.
Regarding the performance, Reed considers that she has no problems in the upper register, and where more work is needed is in the middle and lower registers. They then review intonation, also taking into account the slight variations in pitch depending on the fingering used. They reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of working with a tuner: bearing in mind that intonation will actually be influenced by the instruments she will play with, but at the same time it is advisable to take advantage of its usefulness and see it as a “friend.” Reed also discusses the importance of working with the right hand to achieve the most appropriate intonation rather than depending on the fingering used. They continue working on intonation, paying attention to breathing (support and how the air is expelled).
Returning to the work, they review the accents of the first phrase, address intonation issues again, and discuss the heroic character of the movement, thinking of a possible story that reflects that musical character when told: at the beginning the hero is introduced, then a princess may appear, etc. It helps to create a structure of what happens musically.
Then they discuss metric issues: it is more appropriate to think of it in 2 rather than in 4 so that it does not sound so heavy. It must also be taken into account that this is not a concerto, it is a sonata, so the piano is not only accompaniment and at certain moments the horn’s function is not as prominent.
Language: English
