Kerry Turner: Concerto For Low Horn In F: Horn mit Begleitung

This four mouvements Concerto for Low Horn was commissioned by Edward Deskur of the Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich (Switzerland). Dramatic timpani thunder and solo-horn glissandi open the concerto, followed by a theme of an old Scottish hymn accompanied by the woodwinds in minimalistic patterns. The theme beginns highly melodic and becomes very dramatic, covering a wide range in the low register. In the second movement the harpsichord accompaniment creates a special mood, rendering the horn especially melancholic. The commissioner desired a third movement for a woodwind quintet. It became a very pleasant and capricious one. Movement four is virtuoso, in a Sonata-Allegro form, using again a minimalistic-type accompaniment on the wind instruments. It was the aim of the composer to show the true art of low horn playing. This concerto has entered the repertoire. Kerry Turner