A4, score (16) & parts (3,3,4,4,3,4,3,3,3,4,3,3 = 40)
Horns
12
Additional Equipment
Straight mutes
Others
Other Instruments
Difficulty
3
Duration
5
Structure / Movements
One movement.
Allegro molto con brio
Clefs
Treble, bass
Meters
¢, 3/2, 2/4
Key signatures
1#
Range
Horn 1: c#1 - c3
Horn 2: a - a2
Horn 3: a - a#2
Horn 4: d - g2
Horn 5: d - e2
Horn 6: d - f#2
Horn 7: A - f2
Horn 8: B - f2
Horn 9: G# - c2
Horn 10: D - c2
Horn 11: D - a1
Horn 12: C# - d1
Creator's Comments
Performance Notes
Candide is a comic operetta, written in 1956 and with an original libretto by Lillian Hellmann. While the show got mixed reviews, the Overture became an instant hit and received its solo premiere by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of the composer on January 26, 1957. It went on to become one of the most frequently performed orchestral works of a 20th century American composer. The most recent version (1989) is scored for a full (modern) symphony orchestra, however there is also the original smaller theatre version, an arrangement for wind ensemble, and now one for horn ensemble!
One very immediate difference between Lynsdale-Nock’s arrangement and the full orchestral score is the tempo marking. While the original had a tempo of 152 beats per minute, the new edition slows it down to 132. Since almost every orchestra plays it faster than that anyways, Lynsdale-Nock found a middle ground at 140. Also, the key is different, with everything transposed a minor third down. This is not the most comfortable of keys, with one sharp in the system (F sharp), and quite a lot of C sharps on top of that. It does keep the range within limits though (pedal D to high B), and every other option would have been worse: original (two flats, top D), semi-tone down (three sharps, top C sharp, lots of D sharps), and a tone down (four flats).
In case you were wondering, this arrangement is not as difficult (=crazy) as Warren Deck’s featured on Take 9, recorded by the American Horn Quartet and the horns of the New York Philhamornic. For one, there are more parts, effectively dividing the hard bits between players, and secondly, the range used for each particular section is put in relation to what happened previously. To give a concrete example: after the brief introduction, the characteristic downward scale ornamented with trills is left in the middle register, and the following entry joins up at the bottom (rather than an octave higher as in the orchestral horns). On Take 9 both of these passages are an octave higher (and in a different key), and that’s where that particular arrangement loses 99% of its potential costumers (and the remaining 1% because it is not commercially available).
The division of parts in Lynsdale-Nock’s arrangement is interesting. The twelve horns are divided into three sections, 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12. The first four horns are the main melody carriers, the middle four the rhythm section, and the remaining four the bass. This is similar to Walter’s distribution of parts in Dancing Queen. Within these sections, the players are paired through almost the entirety of the piece (1+2, 3+4, etc.), which makes intonation, ensemble playing, and last but not least, counting a lot easier. As is usual in Lynsdale-Nock’s works, the palette of colours is widened by the use of mutes and hand-stopping, with the latter required as low as a low D. Other than that there’s nothing more difficult than what you hear on any orchestral recording.
There is a lot more to say about this arrangement, but no number of words can do the music justice. While some concessions had to be made to make this work accessible to a larger number of horn ensembles (who don’t happen to have the technical skill of the American Horn Quartet or the guys of the New York Philharmonic horn section), challenges inherent to the original remain very much intact. That said, the most important aspect, the original spirit of Bernstein’s composition is captured extremely well, and that’s what makes it worth getting your mates together and doing some serious work on this. When played well, the audience will be off their seats. Given its accessibility and availability, this arrangement is a must-have for any serious horn ensemble.
Credits
Provision of review score: John Lynsdale-Nock (Corniworld)