This concerto was written during the Summer and
early fall of 1990 during my transition from a semi-professional to a full time
musician in the Sacramento Symphony. I believe each movement contains two
different scales from my I -ching scale system.
The first movement is my favorite theoretically
because I stuck to my interval game technique; limiting myself to melodic major
& minor thirds and perfect fourths with an in-passing rule where I could go
through the previous tone to an acceptable interval on the other side making big
leaps possible. This movement also contains some easier multi-phonic chords for
the solo horn.
The first three tones of the second movement are
the three that don't belong to the two scales used, which is developed
as the theme. The trio alternates from twelve tones to a repetitive pattern of a
similar nature to the twelve tones row. The trio also has a humorous quote from
Mozart, and was written to show off the soloists high register.
The third movement may not be complete. It is a
short slow movement with a melodic quote from Schumann.
The Fourth movement is in a traditional hunting 6/8
rhythm and was written to show off the soloists trilling capability; one of the
harder techniques for the average horn player.
Richard Burdick
