Horn 1: b - g2
Horn 2: b - e2
Horn 3: g - g1
Horn 4: c - e1
Creator's Comments
Louis Scarmolin [1890-1969], native of Italy, has been in America since he was nine years old. He received his first musical training from his father, an accomplished musician, and later studied at the New York College of Music. He has been a music supervisor for many years, and in 1938 he was one of the winners in the national competition for composers, conducted by the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia. His works include orchestral compositions and pieces for various solo instruments as well as choruses and other vocal music.
The introspective qualities of this simple composition, suggesting the Sarabande, will commend themselves to thoughtful players. There is much economy of musical material and a harmonic scheme that is especially suitable to the thematic character of the work. The atmosphere is decidedly classical and the development is logical and interesting.
Performance Notes
To explain some of the terminology in the comments above: “classical atmosphere / harmonic scheme that is especially suitable to the thematic character of the work” means the harmonic progressions follow the classical rules. The piece is in C major, and there are few accidentals, and therefore few (brief) modulations into close keys. “Much economy of musical material” means the same themes recur, and that is true for the two themes present in this short work.
All that said, it is a pleasant to listen to, neo-classical composition, and would not seem out of place in a beginner’s horn quartet concert.