Paul Dukas composed Villanelle in 1906 as an examination piece for the horn class at the Paris Conservatoire. Its attractive melodies and changing colors give musical purpose to a demanding technical assignment: stopped notes, quick scales, and passages drawing on natural-horn technique all contribute to the work's character.
The title refers to a light vocal genre associated with sixteenth-century Italy. That connection makes a singing approach especially appropriate, even when the writing becomes brilliant. Players need to distinguish the different horn colors while maintaining rhythmic clarity, accurate intonation, and a convincing melodic line. This is substantial recital repertoire for a horn player already comfortable with advanced technical and interpretive demands.
Henle's HN 1170 Urtext edition is for horn in F and piano. Dominik Rahmer edited the music using the autograph and first edition; Klaus Schilde supplied the piano fingerings. The original accompaniment is for piano, not an orchestral reduction, and the edition includes historical and textual commentary.
* Note: Houghton Horns is not in any way affiliated with the creators of this video. We included the video to give you a general taste of what the song will sound like, but the artist's interpretation of the piece may vary from your sheet music.
Paul Dukas composed Villanelle in 1906 as an examination piece for the horn class at the Paris Conservatoire. Its attractive melodies and changing colors give musical purpose to a demanding technical assignment: stopped notes, quick scales, and passages drawing on natural-horn technique all contribute to the work's character.
The title refers to a light vocal genre associated with sixteenth-century Italy. That connection makes a singing approach especially appropriate, even when the writing becomes brilliant. Players need to distinguish the different horn colors while maintaining rhythmic clarity, accurate intonation, and a convincing melodic line. This is substantial recital repertoire for a horn player already comfortable with advanced technical and interpretive demands.
Henle's HN 1170 Urtext edition is for horn in F and piano. Dominik Rahmer edited the music using the autograph and first edition; Klaus Schilde supplied the piano fingerings. The original accompaniment is for piano, not an orchestral reduction, and the edition includes historical and textual commentary.
* Note: Houghton Horns is not in any way affiliated with the creators of this video. We included the video to give you a general taste of what the song will sound like, but the artist's interpretation of the piece may vary from your sheet music.