Duo, Trio, Villanelle

There are three Urtext editions in excellent presentation to report on. What is striking and pleasing in all three is the meticulous source research and the resulting accompanying texts, which are fascinating to read. These are gems of the chamber music repertoire with horn: the Trio for violin, horn and piano op. 40 by Johannes Brahms, the Villanelle for horn and piano by Paul Dukas and Adagio and Allegro for horn and piano op. 70 by Robert Schumann. Brahms' Trio was originally written for natural horn, Dukas' Villanelle for natural horn in combination with valve horn, Schumann's work is considered to be the first piece in which the chromatic horn was used.

Dominik Rahmer's foreword to the Villanelle reads almost like a detective story and also sheds light on the history of the horn in the transition from natural to valve horn in Paris at the turn of the 20th century.

Christopher Hogwood has performed the BrahmsTrio also in the version for violin, violoncello and piano authorized by the composer, edited with knowledge and care. The four instruments, violin, violoncello, piano and horn, were incidentally those that Brahms himself played. The appendix contains an album leaf from 1853, twelve years before the composition of Opus 40, with the theme of the trio from the third movement of the horn trio which was written later, as well as several facsimile pages.

From Schumann's Adagio and Allegro the Urtext edition of a version for violin and piano was published at the same time (HN 1025).

Paul Dukas: Villanelle for horn and piano, Urtext edited by Dominik Rahmer, HN 1170, € 13.00, G. Henle, Munich, 2012

Johannes Brahms: Trio for violin, horn and piano in E flat major op. 40, Urtext edited by Christopher Hogwood, BA 9435, € 26.95, Bärenreiter, Kassel 2011

Robert Schumann: Adagio and Allegro for Horn and Piano in A flat major op. 70, Urtext edited by Ernst Herttrich, HN 1023, €13.00, G. Henle, Munich 2012