Sounds of Line

Programme Note

Sounds of Line was first performed in Mittersill, Austria by the Salzburg Horn Quartet. The second performance took place in Salzburg in October 2000 and was subsequently broadcast by the Austrian Radio Federation (ORF) in December 2000.

In part one (an exploration of the melodic power of the horn), it is possible to experiment with placing the horns around the performance space, especially if the room is small and the players are comfortable with this idea.

A good configuration follows:
First horn stands on the stage with third horn directly opposite at the back of the hall. 2nd horn is on the right (facing stage) and 4th horn is on the left. Standing waves and other beating patterns can be discovered across the space because of the close tuning.

In part two (a study of the timbral variety, extreme range and the rate of double tonguing possible in the group), it is better if the players can sit together.