Creating new music for horn through collaborative practice

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis considers the creative process involved in the composition and performance of new music for the horn. It sets out to describe the challenges and opportunities for composers and performers in this process and the value of collaboration between the two parties. There is a limited body of chamber music that includes the horn in South Africa, possibly because composers are not sufficiently acquainted with the complexities of this instrument and are hesitant to embark on a journey into the 'unknown'. With few South African horn players devoting themselves to the performance of chamber music and particularly new music, little engagement has taken place between horn players and composers in the pursuit of new, idiomatic works for this instrument.This precipitated the researcher's investigation into the composer-performer collaborative process, resulting in three commissions for chamber music including horn by South African composers Antoni Schonken, Keith Moss and Allan Stephenson. The collaborative process was central to these commissions in order to promote the concept of idiomatic horn writing. This research comprised three case studies, each documenting the creative process surrounding each commissioned work from inception of the work through the compositional process and rehearsals leading up to a performance. In order to generate a detailed report on each case study, data were collected throughout by means of reflective journaling and audio recordings, supplemented by interviews with participant composers and performers.The research revealed numerous technical intricacies composers need to be familiar with when writing for horn, and which may not be addressed in orchestration texts or other literature. Horn players may also be confronted with unconventional writing with new musical and technical challenges. Collaboration was shown to be of immense value in guiding the composer towards appropriate and effective writing for the horn, with the expertise of the performer being a source of knowledge for the composer. One of the main benefits that accrued to the performer through the collaborative process with the composer was the acquisition of valuable interpretative insights into the work to be performed.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University