The Concertino for Horn and Orchestra in E minor, J188 (Op. 45), was composed in 1815 by Carl Maria von Weber. It is an extremely taxing work, whether played on the natural horn for which it was written, or on the modern valve horn. The soloist is accompanied by a small orchestra. It requires, among other feats, that the player produce what is in effect a four-note chord using the interplay between humming and the sound from the instrument, a technique known as multiphonics.
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The work is widely recorded and performed, appearing in the repertoire of well-known horn players including Hermann Baumann, Barry Tuckwell and David Pyatt.
It was originally written for the natural horn, and the authentic performance movement still sees it played on this instrument; for example, by Anthony Halstead with the Hanover Band.
Instrumentation
The Concertino is scored for a small orchestra of 1 flute, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and strings.
Structure
The form is loosely constructed and can be described as (slow) introduction, (andante) theme, variations, recitative, polonaise (Warrack 1976, p. 168).