Four Etudes

The composer writes

Four Etudes is a great practice piece for a horn quartet attempting to work on pitch and blend – plus, there are many opportunities to be musical and expressive. In Mvt. 1, Dawn, think of emulating a mixed-chorus singing on stage in an opera. Mvt. 2, Daytime, is sort of a scherzo. I was trying to give an impressionist view of what my day might sound like in 90 seconds. It's left in an open key to denote the confusion and nebulousness one might experience in a typical day. In Dusk, the third movement, picture a flat, open-plained, wheatfield in Kansas kind of dusk.

The fourth movement, Night, was in my head for months and served me well as I drifted to sleep all those nights. Remember these are etudes, each composed with a specific purpose to strengthen and elevate the horn quartet. Discover the secrets in each and enjoy!