hornplayer.net Information archive

"Bernhard Heiden born in Frankfurt, Germany, was a pupil of Hindemith who finished his studies in the U.S. He has been teaching composition at Indiana University since 1948and has composed prolifically for all manner of instruments. His 1939 Horn Sonata is of distinctly lighter character as compared to the ordered and thoughtful complexities of his mentor.
The 2/2 opening movement has the horn leading off with a quiet statement, with subordinate themes following over a moody piano accomp. The piano is indeed most slillfully used to announce changes in direction throughout the whole movement. When the original theme is heard again, it is at half the original tempo, but the 'tempo primo' resumes speedily. Contrasting episodes of calm and energy carry the movement to another half tempo statement of the main theme, which serves via crescendo to end it.
The second movement contrasts a quiet minuetto section with a vivace pitting horn against piano. The minuetto section returns in intensified vein. A highly effective 'obbligato' episode for horn leads to a brief and tranquil coda.
The finale is a lively 2/2 rondo of almost quickstep character with horn and piano vying vigorously , one against the other. The concluding pages of the movement are marked by the expected return of the main theme, but this time in triplets.
In correspondence to Caswell Neal the composer had some interesting comments on the sonata.

"The Horn Sonata was written for Theodore Seder who was the first horn player with the Detroit Symphony in 1939. He later became the Librarian of the Fleisher Collection of the Public Library in Philadelphia. I was not aware at the time that I composed the work that Hindemith was also writing a Sonata for Horn that same year. Nor, I am sure, was he awareof my piece. I do remember showing it to him 1 or 2 years later. The last movement contains some Greek dance rhythms which I heard while dining in a Detroit Greek restaurant. This was long before we ever came to Greece where we now have spent many summers and 2 sabbaticals."

Mr. Heiden was a student of Paul Hindemith and came to the States when he did (fleeing the Nazis). I believe he got his master's at Cornell. He taught composition at Indiana University for many years. He is now retired, living in Bloomington, Indiana, and spending his summers in the Greek isles, where over the years he has done much of his composing. A few years ago, he and his wife celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

There is a place in the last movement (I think) where the horn and piano trade off on repeated notes. Mr. Heiden told me that he wouldn't write that device again as it didn't do what he wanted (implying that the timbres of the two instruments were too different for the trade-off to be effective).

Mr. Heiden has written compositions for many combinations. He was a friend of John Barrows and wrote some horn duets for him (a friend and I tried them and didn't like them very much). His Quartet for Horns is one of the top-rated horn quartets, behind the Hindemith but probably ahead of Leclair. I played it with some friends and we had a great time with it.