Horn pedagogy evolution: how orchestral excerpts ascended to prominence

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Date
2019-04-08
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Indiana University
Abstract
Over time, the role of orchestral excerpts in horn pedagogy has undergone a profound shift. While excerpts were never ignored, their role has expanded greatly. However, this is not a gradual shift, but instead a reaction to various forces including but not limited to changes in audition procedures as well as the creation of a more rigid orchestral canon. This shift can be observed by looking at the historical record of etude books, method books, and treatises as well as the publication history of orchestral excerpt books. In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries there has been a shift in horn pedagogy towards using orchestral excerpts as primary materials. The idea of having a body of standard works that students must be familiar with is intimately linked to having orchestral excerpts that must be learned. Etude books based on orchestral excerpts were published in the mid nineteenth century and the first excerpt books followed in the tail end of the 1800s. In the first half of the twentieth century excerpt books became more popular, but they were limited due to errors and space constraints. Once there was a standard body of orchestral repertoire that horn students were expected to learn before completing their studies the question of how to teach these materials arose. When orchestra concerts consisted of music written in the last fifteen to twenty years it would not make sense to expect students to diligently work on older material. The development of orchestra auditions has also played a major role in expanding the role of excerpts in horn pedagogy. Usage has shifted towards full parts, a trend that has been accelerated by the ease of acquiring digital copies.
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Thesis (DM) - Indiana University, Music, 2019
Keywords
Horn, Horn Excerpts, Orchestral Excerpts, Horn Pedagogy
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D. Mus.