Animal of the year

The mole (german: “Maulwurf”) has been nominated animal of the year 2020 by the Deutsche Wildtierstiftung ! A good reason to celebrate this fascinating animal after whom this edition is named.
Each quarter of this year, we will feature a special edition dedicated to the mole. Stay tuned!

Visit the website of the Wildtierstifung for comprehensive information about this industrious little animal, wich is digging as busy through the ground as through our pages of sheet music!
-> link: animal of the year

Carnaval du Cor

Once a year a group of horn enthusiasts consisting of amateurs, professionals, experts, students and many solists of distinction is congragating in the south of germany to celebrate this unique musical instrument.

The 27th version of »Carnaval du Cor« will be held February 21 – 25, 2020
in Pullach near Munich. Fitting that number, europe’s biggest horn festival features 27 professors and instructors of phantastic quality: Radek Baborák (special guest), Prof. Thomas Hauschild, Prof. Mahir Kalmik, Prof. Ab Koster, Andreas Kreuzhuber (youngest principal horn of Bamberg Symphony ever), … →

Simon Mayr

The german Johann Simon Mayr (1763-1845) is one of the wrongfully forgotten composers, except in Italy, where he stayed the better part of his lifetime and became very famous and successful. He wrote many operas, sinfonies and a lot of chamber music as well.
Even more productive in the field of sacred compositions (many of which include an obligato, a solo instrument), Mayr carried the dramatic, theatrical style shown in his stage works into the churches. His melodic music is extraordinary well set and orchestrated, making it hard to believe that his name is rarely mentioned in his home country.

Edition Maulwurf presents a series of Mayr’s works in order to
make his music available to a broader public.

So far pulished:
– Gloria Patri in F for soprano, corno obligato, oboe obligato and strings
– Nisi Dominus for bass, choir SATB, flute, oboe,
clarinet, 2 horns and strings
– Gloria Patri in Es for alto, choir SATB,
2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns (1.= obligato)
– Sicut erat for choir and orchestra
– Goria Patri arranged for soprano, horn and organ
– Sextett Nr.1 for oboe, 2 clarinets, horn and 2 bassoons
– Sextett Nr.2 for clarinet, 2 horns, 2 violas and bassoon
– Sextett Nr.3 for oboe, 2 horns, 2 violas and bassoon
– Sextett Nr.4 for 2 clarinets, bassett horn, 2 horns and bassoon
– Sextett Nr.5 for 2 clarinets, 2 horns and 2 bassoons

Edition Maulwurf – On tour!

Last year I traveled around the entire globe. I took the Edition Maulwurf buisiness card with me to prove my steps by taking pictures with it in front of popular tourist sites:


Find out about the route and view many more photos (in german):
https://tourfoto.wordpress.com/


Johann Wilhelm Mangold

Today, the german composer Johann Wilhelm Mangold is one of the less common names. Back in his time, he was a well established member of the musical landscape.
Native to the city Darmstadt, Mangold was born into a family of rich musicial
tradition in 1796.
He joined the Hofkapelle as a violinist and raised, like his father Georg, to the
rank of Hofkapellmeister. Brother Carl Ludwig Amadeus, also known as Carl Armand, gained certain fame as a composer as well.

Aside from some operas, festive- and incidental musics, Mangold composed lots of chamber music, some of wich feature the horn as a solistic instrument.
These horn parts, even with valve horns in existance, and no particular mentioning within the scores, are obviously written for natural horn.
This kind of music, probably ment to be performed in musical salons, provides us with interesting and valuable insides of the early 19th century music and the usage of the horn.

Mangold’s compositions lie in style beetween Schubert and Weber. Some references to Meyerbeer can also be recognised. His music can be described as melodic, with conventional, though interesting harmonics.
Bass line and musical structures are worked out very well.

Edition Maulwurf starts with the following two compositios by J.W. Mangold:
–Serenada for 4 horns and bassoon (1845)
–9 pieces for horn and pianoforte (~ 1854)
Printed versions can be bought at Blechbläsersortiment Köbl.
Audio samples and more music, also by Carl Armand, will be following soon.

new categories

Music for wind trio is a sub-category of  Music for wind ensemble and
starts with these 3 items:
– Telemann: Rondeau für Oboe, Klarinette und Fagott
– Stölzel: Dominica Laetare für Oboe, Klarinette und Fagott
– Heinichen: Sonata für Flöte, Klarinette und Fagott

Music for horn and piano currently contains 2 items:
– Souvenirs de Bayreuth by G. Fauré und A. Messager
– Authentic 9 pieces for horn and pianoforte, composed around 1852 by J.W. Mangold.

music for clarinet quartet

The three latest items all are made for clarinet quartet:
2 clarinets (B), basset horn (F), bass clarinet (B).

1. Christoph Willibald Gluck:
Dance of the blessed spirits from the opera “Orphee ed Euridice”

2. Camille Saint-Saëns:
Bagatelle Op.3 Nr.4

3. Jean-Phillipe Rameau
9 – part suite
compiled from pieces of the opera “Platée”:
– Passepied 1, Passepied 2
– Menuett 1, Menuett 2
– Air 1, Air 2
– Marche pour la Danse
– Entrée
– Musette
– Passepied 1, Passepied 2
– Rigaudon 1, Rigaudon 2
– Tambourin 1, Tambourin 2.

 

news for horn quartet, and Telemann

New items for horn quartet:

-H. Lehmann: Quartet for 4 horns in different keys (ca.1800)
-H. Lehmann: Choral “Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt machen” for 4 horns (ca.1800)
-H. Henkel: Quartet for 4 F horns Op.33 (ca.1830)

Soon another authentic work for 4 horns will follow: J.G. Abeltshauser –
12 quartets.

Four new items have been added to Edition Telemann:
–Concerto in D TWV54:D3 (3 Clarini, Tympani, 2 Oboe, Violini, Viola, Basso)
–Concerto in D TWV51:D1 (Flauto traverso, Violini, Viola, Cembalo)
–Concerto in D TWV51:D2 (Flauto traverso, Violini, Viola, Cembalo)
–Concerto in c TWV51:c1 (Oboe, Violini, Viola, Basso)

audio samples and new item

A new audio sample has been added to:
A. Bruckner: Ecce Sacerdos for horn ensemble
A. Bruckner: Tantum Ergo for horn quintet
G. Bizet: Carmen for horn ensemble
J. Strauss: Ouverture ‘The Bat’ for nonet
F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Scherzo for nonet

One new item for nonet is availlable now:
5 Military Marches by Ludwig van Beethoven
1. “Marsch in B” (WoO29), ca. 1:10 min.
2. “Marsch für Militärmusik” in F (WoO18, 1809), ca. 1:30 min.
3. “Marsch für Militärmusik” in F (WoO19, 1810), ca. 2:00 min.
4. “Marsch (Zapfenstreich) für Militärmusik” in C (WoO20, 1809), ca. 3:20 min.
5. „Militair-Marsch“ in D (WoO24, 1816), ca. 4:30 min.

Opera and horn ensemble

The motto of the Hornweek 2017 in Maastricht is: Opera and horn ensemble
Professor Will Sanders commissioned a number of new arrangements for that purpose:

“Der Freischütz” for horn ensemble
4 arrangements for 14 horns
01. Ouverture
02. Trio with chorus
03. Cavatine
04. Chorus of the huntsmen

“Fidelio” for horn octet
3 arrangements for 8 horns
01. Ouverture
02. Aria
03. Recitativo and Aria

Duetto from „Rigoletto“: “Si, Vendetta” for 12 horns

“Don Carlo” for Hornensemble
6 arrangements for 12+4 horns
01. Introduction, Coro di cacciatori
02. Scene and Duetto
03. Preludio
04. Scene and Aria
05. Aria „Per me giunto“
06. Finale

“Carmen” for Hornensemble
6 arrangements for 10 horns
01. Prelude
02. Habanera
03. Prelude act II
04. Toreador Aria
05. Air
06. Finale

All movements, except the ouvertures, can either be performed with solo voice(s) or with horns only.

Horn and Organ

The French horn is (although pretty tricky to handle) a highly impressive and admired solo instrument. The very charming combination with an organ on the other hand, is not as common as horn and piano or horn and orchestra, not to mention the solistic appearances from within the orchestra. That also means the choice of suitable pieces is not very great.
Therefore new at Edition Maulwurf:

16 solo pieces of medium difficulty, for horn with organ accompaniment,
from the baroque, classical and romantic era.
Matthias Pflaum and Wilhelm Junker have prepared a few demo recordings.
Follow the link below to listen, and have a look at some sample pages of the:
Album for Horn and Organ

wrongly forgotten composers

Famous in their time, but mostly forgotten today – this is the fate many a truly creditable composer happened to suffer throughout history.
Today plenty of ensembles, musicians and institutes make it their task to rediscover unknown or lost works of music, putting a lot of effort in editing, publishing and performing those. Digital and online resources of libraries and archives make it a lot easier to do so than just 20 years ago.
Still, however committed these efforts are, it does change surprisingly little for the reputation of the long gone authors and their presence in our concert halls, despite the more than occasional find of real masterpieces. … →