5 pieces:
I Purcell, Henry - In these delightful, pleasant groves: Allegro
II Bateson, Thomas - The nightingale: Quick time
III Bateseom, Thomas - Phyllis, farewell
IV Bennet, John - Elves' dance
V Ward, John - Love is a dainty
Clefs
Treble, bass
Meters
¢, C, 3/4
Key signatures
2b, None, 1b
Range
Horn 1: f#1 - g2
Horn 2: g - d2
Horn 3: c1 - g2
Horn 4: G - a1
Creator's Comments
Playing madrigals on the horn makes these demands:
1. Madrigals are vocal music and need to be “sung” on the horn
2. They need clear “diction”, with no hint of harshness in tone or tongue.
3. The spirit is often comic, with spritely and brisk tempi
4. Superb intonation will suffice
5. Every player must be constantly aware of the importance of all parts.
Performance Notes
This is a collection of English madrigal transcriptions. Purcell, Bateson, Bennet and Ward were all 17th century madrigalists and contemporaries of John Dowland. This set is interesting because it deviates from the standard quartet distribution of parts (of 1-2-3-4), instead treating the four parts like an orchestral horn section (1-3-2-4). The transcriptions are straight forward and easy to play, even though some of the quaver (eight note) runs in the faster movements can pose a bit of a challenge.