Horn 1: eb1 - c3
Horn 2: g# - g2
Horn 3: ab - bb2
Horn 4: d - f2
Horn 5: bb - bb2
Horn 6: eb - gb2
Horn 7: g - g2
Horn 8: G - gb1
Creator's Comments
Performance Notes
Thoma’s Horn octet is a work with very characteristic horn writing. It is written in sonata form, with the opening theme in the first four horns, and the accompaniment figure in horns 5-8. This strong, accented theme comes back after the 2nd idea has been introduced, and the whole section is repeated at the end (in the recapitulation), except for the final 10 bars. The middle section is more lyrical with an accompaniment figure reminiscent of Holst’s Mars. About 100 bars into the piece, horns 5-8 for the first time contribute to the thematic material of the work, with fanfare-like motifs and a short chorale. This material is subsequently imitated in the first four horns, after which a transition leads back to the recapitulation.
Overall, an interesting work in a convenient key. Written in a classical form, but with post-romantic harmonic language, the Octet is worth giving a try, not least because it is one of the few original works for horn octet available.