MUP 563: INTERPRETATION II

HORN SONATA BY PAUL HINDEMITH

Prepared for:
Pn.Siti Hajar Mohamad Seperah

Prepared by:
Mohd Adznan Bin Mokhtar (2013229906)
MU2225B

MARA University of Technology

24th November 2014

Introduction
This presentation will discuss about two well-known horn players between Mason Jones and Lee
Bracegirdle in interpret Horn Sonata composed by the German composer Paul Hindemith. The
argument will discuss about the musical idea of the piece of how their playing the dynamic and
the tempo of this piece.

Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith he was a German composer, violist, violinist and conductor. He was born in
Hanau, Germany in 16 November 1895. He was learning the violin since a child. He studied
music in Hochsche Konservatorium in Frankfurt am Main and study conducting, composition
and violin under Arnold Mendelssohn and Bernhard Sekles. On 1915 to 1923 he became a
concert master of the Frankfurter Museumsorchester. In 1921 he was one of the founders of
Amar Quartet, he playing viola during on that time and started to tour around Europe and
performs a lot of contemporary piece.
His started to publish his music in the International Society for Contemporary Music festival at
Salzburg on 1922. He composed a lot of contemporary or avant garde piece until his music was
accepted from the international audience. The following year, he started to works with several
contemporary composers, including Anton Webern and Arnold Schoenberg since he began to be
an organizer for the Donaueschingen Festival. He also was being composition teacher at
Hoschule fur Musik in Berlin teaching contemporary music. Towards the end of the 1930's, he
made several tours in America as a viola and viola d'amore soloist.

Hindemiths Music
His music has been declared as a neo-classical music. His musical works was the most
significant German composer during on that time. His early works are in a late romantic idiom,
and composed a lot of expressionist and contemporary works. His most influenced composer in
contemporary was Arnold Schoenberg.
His basic tenet to compose music is Gebrauchsmusik. The term Gebrauchsmusik actually
are means Music for Use or Practical Music. Through his philosophy of Gebrauchsmusik
he composed 25 sonatas after 1935. The sonatas his composed is all for orchestral instruments,
including harp, horns, alto horn, trombone, cor anglais and tuba

Horn Sonata
For this assignment will be specifically in the second movement of the sonata. This piece was
composing in 1939. Even though this piece is a sonata, but the form of the music is not typically
in sonata form according from the sonata form in the classical period. But this horn sonata still
have a three movements which is first movement Messig bewegt, second movement Ruhig
bewegt and third movement lebhaft. It is a work for an instrumental solo instrument played by
the soloist virtuosity and accompany by piano.
The word Ruhig Bewegt means is peacefully moved. In this movement has a richly
contrapuntal, neo-Baroque style that marks the best works of his music. The expressive second
movement flows through into a large three-part form. In the middle of the piece is marked by the
pianos swaying triplet figuration 12/8 while the horn parts are still playing in 3/4 time
signatures. For the second movement the melody is a very lyrical. The horn started to introduces
an emotionless theme by the crochet rhythm.

Musical Idea of the piece

1. Dynamic
The change of dynamic of this piece needs to be play very clearly and detail with a good
intonation. Need to pay attention the balancing between with piano parts.
2. Tempo
From the German terms in this piece Ruhig Bewegt mean is peacefully moved. It
means the tempo of this piece need to drive moving forwards but not too fast. The feeling
of calmness can be articulate with legato. On the tempo of rehearsal bar 21 where the
pianos swaying triplet figuration 12/8 while the horn parts are still playing in 3/4 time
signatures are need to be slightly to be faster until the bar 5 of rehearsal number 23 where
the horn enter back then tempo is back to the normal.
: The words Ruhig Bewegt

: The bars where the pianos swaying triplet need to be increase the tempo

Mason Jones
Mason Jones a well-known horn player in United States. He was born in 1919 in Hamilton New
York. At the early age he was a pianist thought by his own mother also a pianist, then the
trumpet. During his high school, he was suggested by the local conductor to switch his major
instrument to French horn and he audition at the Curtis Institute of Music Philadelphia to study
French horn. He was a student of Anton Horner. While in high school, Jones already gained a lot
of performance experience like played with Utica NY Symphony on a brass Kruspe borrowed
from Colgate University.
On the 1938, he has been hired to get third horn position job in Philadelphia Orchestra. For the
following season he a principal horn in orchestra, playing under both conductor Stokowski and
Ormandy. During at this time he managed to record a lot of chamber and solo piece. His first
recording was the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with Stokowski. Another recording of the
standard horn repertoire include the concertos of Mozart and Strauss, and the Hindemith Sonata
with accompanied by Glenn Gould.
Mason Jones Playing
The balancing is not very good, sometimes the horn part are too loud. The changes of dynamic
are not really clear. But his musicalities are very good in sustaining in the legato lines. The tempo
of his playing is not inconsistent with the theme of this piece which is Peacefully Moved
because the tempo of his playing is very slow.
In the rehearsal bar 21 where the pianos swaying triplet the tempo are still the same until the end
of the piece. Although he has a very good stamina in playing long tones since the tempo of his
playing is very slow. By playing with very slow tempo he manage to show his musicality with
interpret the shaping sound while playing the legato lines.

Lee Bracegirdle
Lee Joseph Bracegirdle is an Australian-American Horn player. He was born in Houston, Texas.
But he resides to Sydney, Australia for his composition to publish by C.F Peters. In 1970-1971
he began to studied horn and organ at the Philadelphia Music Academy. After that he continues
his study at Juilliard School, New York. He was been taught by many great horn player such as
James Chamber, John Cerminaro and Ranier de Intinis.
At the first time, in 1976 he was a co-principal horn with the Orquesta Filamonica de la Unam
(Mexico) and at same time he also was a principal horn with the Chamber Orchestra of Mexico
City. In 1977 he has been offered to be a horn soloist at the Hof Symphony Orchestra in Bavaria,
Germany. He was been offered as a horn soloist by many orchestra and recording label in
Australia to play lot of concerto piece such as Mozart and Strauss concerto. His recordings made
through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation include the sonatas of Paul Hindemith. At the
end he became Associate Principal Horn at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, where his enjoy his
job until his retirement in music performance in 2012.
Lee Bracegirdle Playing
The changes of dynamic are play with very detail. The connection sound with the soloist and the
accompanist are very good in terms of balancing sound especially on the change of dynamic. He
has good intonation when playing the forte part. The feeling of calmness according to the theme
of the piece was mostly there through of his articulation. The tone color and intonation always
blend with the accompanist. He also good in sustaining the legato lines
The tempo which is brought is very suitable with the theme which is his playing with more
agitated. As usual in the rehearsal bar 21 where the pianos swaying triplet the tempo are become
slightly more faster until the bar 5 of rehearsal number 23 where the horn enter back then tempo
is back to the normal.

Mason Jones:

Lee Bracegirdle:

Conclusion
The tone produces from both of this performer are very good. Both of the performers are good in
playing in the legato lines. For the interpretation of this sonata, Bracegirdle playing was more
interesting than the Jones playing. It is because the tempo of his playing is very moved or
agitated since the theme of the piece is peacefully moved according to German terms stated in
the score Ruhig Bewegt. Besides that he has a very good connection with his accompanist in
balancing of sound and the change of dynamics.

References
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http://www.hornsociety.org/
http://www.hindemith.info/
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Hindemith-Paul
www.imslp.org