Over the past couple of years, I have had the pleasure of playing chamber music with so many wonderful people.  Playing in small groups, blending social connection with beautiful music is absolutely the best!  But each time I come together with a new group we wrestle anew with figuring out what to do with the horn player(s), other than the obvious answer of forming a woodwind quintet. Now, I love the woodwind quintet repertoire, but there is so much more music to play!

Playing with Strings

Playing with string players is very different from playing with a woodwind quintet.  String players can be much more flexible with tempos.  They can actually talk, even count while playing!  So I would recommend that every horn player spend some time playing with strings.  There is a lot to experience beyond the two big standards – the Mozart Quintet for horn, violin, 2 violas and cello, and the Brahms trio for violin, horn and piano.  If you have a willing string quartet, I particularly recommend the romantic Emil Kreuz Quintet and the classical, staid Hoffmeister.  Another treat is the Michael Haydn Romance – you will recognize the tune and reflect on Michael Haydn’s friendship with Mozart.  On a more contemporary note, I recommend the David Diamond quintet. 

As you dig into what is available, horn players may discover that some of the music that looks fun for them doesn’t treat the string players as equals.  Be aware that some pieces – especially those written by horn players – show off the horn and relegate the string players to accompaniment positions.  The quartets by Giovanni Punto (aka Stich – Mozart’s horn player) fall into this category.  There are others for this combination, but try to find those that are also fun for the strings!

When a chamber music event includes more than one horn player, the options expand.  Horn players are often written for in pairs.  With a string quartet plus two horns you have sextets by Mozart, Beethoven and Danzi. With two oboes, two horns and strings you can play some Haydn divertimenti and Symphonies by J.C. Bach.  But if it is a symphony, is that really chamber music?

Playing with a Pianist

Snagging an opportunity to play with a pianist is always worthwhile.  Pianists almost inevitably play from the score, so they have a unique opportunity to see the bigger picture. A good pianist is so much more than accompanist!  The Mozart and Beethoven quintets for piano and winds (sorry – no flute) are masterpieces.  If you add the flute for a full wind quintet plus piano, the classics are Poulenc, Louise Ferrenc, and Ludwig Tuille.

Smaller groups with piano can also be delicious!  I recommend the Carl Reinecke trios: Op. 188 for oboe, horn and piano and Op. 274 for clarinet, horn and piano. On a more contemporary note, Eric Ewazen’s Ballade, Pastorale and Dance for flute, horn and piano is well worth playing.

Larger ensembles

In larger wind groups the instruments are often written for in pairs.  There is a rich vein of music for woodwind octet (2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 bassoons) which is sometimes referred to as “Harmoniemusik.”  The Harmonie was essentially the dance band of the 18^th century.  Much of Joseph Haydn’s chamber music for winds – the divertimenti, cassations and “Feldparthien” (“field partitas”) were written for the Harmonie (or wind band) of his first full-time employer Count Morzin and later Prince Paul Anton Esterházy. Along with the serious music for this combination, there are many operatic arrangements, often including string bass or contrabassoon. (A fun factoid: back in “the day,” my husband Gil Dejean toured with the Steve Richman Harmonie Ensemble.)

This February, at WinterMusic at Stonypoint, New York, I was lucky enough to play a couple of sessions with nonets for winds and strings.  The ones we played were for woodwind quintet plus violin, viola, cello and bass.  Martinů, Spohr, and Louise Ferrenc and several others wrote for this combination. There are also a few for wind quintet plus string quartet.

So when a horn player has the good fortune to attend a chamber music meetup, what can they expect to play?  I would recommend being in shape and ready to play with everybody!  If there is a library at your meetup, don’t just explore the woodwind quintets.  See who else you can play with, and enjoy the music!