De solohoornisten van het Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest 1888-2017: Geschiedenis - tradities - instrumentarium - speelwijze

Abstract

Since its foundation in 1888, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO) has become an orchestra that is considered to be one of the finest in the world, lauded for its unique sound. Simultaneously with the development of this orchestra, a unique tradition in sound and playing style arose in the horn section: the Amsterdam School. Traditions that shaped the principal horn players in their education and experiences prior to their tenure in the RCO had an important influence on the sound and playing style of the orchestra’s horn section, being in a constant process of change. The history of the (thirteen) principal horn players of the RCO can be divided into four periods: the Early Years (1888-1922), the Amsterdam School (1922-1974), New Influences (1974-2004), and the New Amsterdam School (2004-2017). Four major traditions in horn playing (the French School, the Bohemian School, the Middle-German-School and the Chicago School) have been of significant influence to the development of the Amsterdam School. In this study, a description of these four Schools is given. It provides insight into the traditions that shaped the Amsterdam School. In the course of this PhD research, information about the history, traditions and instruments from principal horn players in the Early Years was collected. Richard Sell can be regarded as founder of the Amsterdam School. During his tenure, starting in 1922, the horn section developed a unique sound and playing style. Sell unified the horn section, not only in terms of playing style but also in the instruments that were used. His successors, Jan Bos and Adriaan van Woudenberg, refined the playing culture of the Amsterdam horn section. The unanimity in the horn section and the emphasis on an ‘ideal sound’ made the Amsterdam School flourish. The year 1974 marked the beginning of a new era. Julia Studebaker won the position of principal horn in het RCO. Trained in Chicago, she brought new influences to the horn section regarding projection and acoustics. Jacob Slagter introduced the style of the (second) Bohemian School. International influences, especially from the 1980s, did not only have an impact on the horn section, but on the whole orchestra. These influences resulted in improvements, but also in a reduction of uniformity in the horn section. With Jasper de Waal, who won the principal horn position in 2004, the Amsterdam School came forward again, but it was not a full revival. The New Amsterdam School (2004-2017) should be seen as a symbiosis of the traditional Amsterdam School with influences and modern perceptions regarding sound, playing style and instrument choice. The current principal horn player, Laurens Woudenberg, represents the New Amsterdam School. Throughout the years, the Amsterdam horn section maintained a cultivated way of playing, never forced, always concentrating on the most beautiful sound one could imagine. Beauty of sound, playing with expression, and blending the sound with other musicians in the orchestra, characterize the ‘velvet horn sound’ of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra’s horn section.