Evenings with the French Horn

Mark Papworth (natural and valved horns) and Rosa Scaffidi (piano) play Berlioz and Blanc in repertoire that sets the two French horn types of the late nineteenth century side by side.

Mark Papworth natural and valved horns
Rosa Scaffidi piano

Adolphe Blanc composer
Hector Berlioz composer
Mark Papworth arranger

Whilst much of Europe had adopted the valved horn by the middle of the nineteenth century, Parisian players kept the valveless natural horn in use until the century’s end. The natural horn remained on the Paris Conservatoire syllabus until 1902. French composers therefore wrote for both instruments, and orchestras commonly fielded two natural horns with two valved horns.

Papworth plays Berlioz’s song cycle Les nuits d’été in his own transcription for French piston-valve horn, and Blanc’s Sonata Op. 43 on a natural horn—the two instruments that defined French horn practice through the nineteenth century.

Reviews

For his latest excursion into the byways of horn performance and composition, Mark Papworth is again allying himself with pianist Rosa Scaffidi, following the success of their 2020 Siegfried’s Story disc with tuba Per Forsberg. This time, the horn-piano duet presents two works only: a bona fide sonata for natural horn by Adolphe Blanc, a versatile 19th century chamber music composer whose life-span overlapped with that of Hector Berlioz, whose six-part song-cycle Nuits d’ete has been arranged for this recorded performance by Papworth. Admittedly, this latter popular sequence of chansons has been arranged over the years since its first publication. Originally set for mezzo or tenor and piano, later versions by Berlioz accommodated baritone, soprano and contralto. But then, he directed that specific songs be addressed by particular voice types; ah, what a character. That detail is ignored these days where – in concerts, recitals and on CDs – one singer is enough to cope with the series. Nevertheless, as far as I can see, the composer didn’t arrange any of the set for a solo instrument; certainly not by the time he got around to finishing his orchestration of them all in 1856.

— Clive O'Connell, O'Connell the Music

Artists

Mark Papworth

Mark Papworth is a Melbourne tram driver and highly accomplished horn player. At home on baroque, natural and modern instruments, he studied in Melbourne, Perth and the United States.

Rosa Scaffidi

Rosa Scaffidi began her life-long love affair with the piano and its mighty repertoire at the age of 2. She is an extremely versatile musician, and is highly skilled in the interpretation of many musical styles as well as being a proficient improviser.

Tracks

Les nuits d’été, Op. 7 Hector Berlioz Arr: Mark Papworth

i. Villanelle 2:26
ii. Le spectre de la rose 6:23
iii. Sur les lagunes 6:21
iv. Absence 5:04
v. Au cimetière 5:24
vi. L’île inconnue 3:35

Sonate pour cor et piano, Op. 43 Adolphe Blanc

i. Allegro 10:27
ii. Scherzo 3:34
iii. Romance 4:58
iv. Finale 5:45

Performers

Mark Papworth · natural and valved horns
Rosa Scaffidi

Composers

Hector Berlioz

Hector Berlioz (1803–1869) was a French Romantic composer whose orchestral, choral and dramatic works reshaped the scale and colour of nineteenth-century music. His output includes the Symphonie fantastique, the Te Deum and the song cycle Les nuits d’été.

Adolphe Blanc

Adolphe Blanc (1828–1885) was a French composer of chamber music in the Romantic tradition of private hausmusik. Largely overlooked in a Paris dominated by opera, he left a substantial body of trios, quartets, quintets and related works.

Where to listen

Evenings with the French Horn is available for streaming through Spotify and Apple Music. It can also be purchased through the iTunes Music Store.

Evenings with the French Horn is available as a CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer online ordering.

Product details

Catalogue number: MCD 640
List price: $25.00 AUD
Total playing time: 53 minutes 57 seconds
Producer: Martin Wright
Release date: 15 Nov 2023
Category: Classical
Genre: Romantic & Impressionist
Barcode: EAN 9314574064025

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