> > Message: 5 > Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:07:42 +0200 > From: Jonas Olson <jol...@kth.se> > To: lilypond-user@gnu.org > Subject: Re: Notation of french horn > Message-ID: <1335514062.13951.43.camel@appendix> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > Even though I do understand the nature of the valveless horn, I do not > see why one omits the key signature today. Just tradition doesn't really > explain it. Could someone clarify this? Here's how I understand it so > far: > > On the valveless horn you change crooks to give the instrument a > transposition that matches the music. That way, the music is always > notated in C major (assuming major mode), just like how music sounding > in B? major, played on a B? clarinet, is written as C major. Rather than > calling this "no key signature", I'd say we have the key signature of C > major. > > When we switch over to valves, we no longer match the transposition of > the instrument to the key of the music, so it's only natural for other > key signatures to appear. To continue the tradition of valveless horns, > one would rather have to consider every valve press to be a change of > crooks that alters the transposition of the instrument, and then write > for this transposition until it's time for the next valve press. > > In summary, having no key signature (rather, the key signature of C > major) appears natural to me when dealing with valveless horns (whose > transposition match the key of the music) but not when it comes to horns > with valves. I'm looking forward to getting this explained to me! > > Regards, > Jonas >
Basically, I'd say the "norm" is to write out/typeset the horn part the way the composer originally wrote it, the exception being when the player is not [expected to be] skilled in transposition. Transposition on-the-fly is typically expected of today's horn players due to the history of the instrument and historical practice. I'll give some examples to try to illustrate the possibilities. Mozart horn concerto in D major (1791) - originally played on a natural horn with a D crook, so written with no key signature - the modern player playing on an F horn simply (!) transposes the part down a minor third as he plays it. Exception is to transpose the part for him, so write it out for horn in F. Then the key signature is two sharps (for the horn - one sharp for everyone else!) Tchaikovsky piano concerto in B flat minor (1875) - horn part originally written for valved horn, but *still* written with no key signature and accidentals instead of four flats key signature. (Nineteenth century composers were slow to change the practice of writing as if they were writing for natural horn, maybe with pressure from horn players who were unused to seeing a key signature in all their Beethoven symphonies etc.) Holst First Suite for Military Band (in E flat) (1909) - written for four horns in E flat - those were common in early twentieth century bands - horn parts have no sharps or flats in key signature - nowadays the player would get a part that said Horn in E flat and she would transpose down a whole step as she plays, or a part for horn in F (written out a whole step lower) would be provided and this would have two flats and not require thought by the player about transposing. Holst's Jupiter from The Planets (c. 1916) C major, but six horns in F still with no key signature (should be one sharp). As a comparison, the clarinet parts have two sharps, and the English horn part has one sharp. Gliere - Concerto for Horn in B flat major (1951) - horn in F, one flat in the key signature and this piece has lots of accidentals (mostly sharps and even double sharps!) Bach Suites for Unaccompanied Cello *transcribed* for horn in F - each piece has a key signature, either one more sharp or one fewer flats than the original, as needed. I'd say almost everything written after the early-mid twentieth century is going to have key signatures, but as much of what we play was written earlier, it is very common for horn players to have parts without key signatures in front of them. Hope this helps. Tim Reeves
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