Lecture-recital: Cor Alto and Cor Basse; to blend or not to blend

Kathryn Zevenbergen
Teunis van der Zwart
Olga Paschenko

This lecture recital explores the different sound ideals in horn playing that arise from the use of different mouthpieces, horns, and techniques that were common during the 18th and early 19th century. Recordings and live performances of select works will be used to help illustrate the gulf that exists between modern performance practices and what a careful reading of music treatises and performance reviews reveals. The question of the cor basse sound will be placed into a historical context, and repertoire, individual players, and instrument building techniques will be addressed. The lecture-recital will conclude with a short discussion with the audience. The live performances include music by Christoph Förster (Concerto for Horn and Orchestra); Ludwig van Beethoven (Sonata for pianoforte and horn, op. 17); and Louis François Dauprat (Mélodie for cor alto, cor basse and piano).

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