The Horn in Opera

Welcome to The Horn in Opera, a recorded exploration of significant operatic excerpts for horn!

The purpose of this CD is twofold: first, to demonstrate some of the operatic excerpts commonly requested on opera horn position auditions, and, secondly, to acquaint the player with operatic excerpts that are frequently performed on the symphonic stage.

Although this is a recording about operatic performance, there are no singers recorded here: it is hoped that by high-lighting these passages, the hornist with an interest in opera can gain exposure to this repertoire. Click here to purchase a copy securely with Google Checkout.

100 % of the money raised from this project will be used to establish a scholarship fund for horn students.

Here is some of what colleagues are saying about The Horn in Opera :

“Finally…here is a clear place to start “Horn in Opera” study and preparation! This recording is a fantastic resource for any musician looking into the major horn repertoire in opera literature. Bravo, Richard, for a well-played recording, rich in both musical examples and spoken commentary. After listening to his creative ideas about approach to performance, you can play along with Richard and learn even more. Buy this CD now!”

Jeff Nelsen
Hornist, Canadian Brass,
Associate Professor of Music, Horn, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music

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“Richard Chenoweth has masterfully applied his years of experience as a member of one of America’s premier opera orchestras and produced this invaluable recorded compendium of horn excerpts. Whether you are an occasional opera performer boning up for an upcoming opera, preparing for an audition with an opera orchestra, or you just want to round out your excerpt repertoire, this disc will save you hours of time searching the recorded opera archives looking for excerpts that are often obscured and take you directly to fantastic examples of many of the most important horn excerpts in the opera repertoire. You need this recording.”

William Barnewitz
Principal Horn, Milwaukee Symphony and Santa Fe Opera Orchestras,
Senior Horn Instructor, Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University

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“A superb recording with all parts performed magnificently! … A wonderful addition to the pedagogical repertoire of excerpt recordings! …Excellent attention to stylistic details! …Richard Chenoweth demonstrates again what a versatile performer he is!

Congratulations, Richard!! What a fine recording you have created. Your love of this repertoire is evident throughout! It was a pleasure to listen to this entire recording. Your Siegfried is fantastic, as is everything else!”

Herb Winslow,
Associate Principal Horn, the Minnesota Orchestra,
former Principal Horn, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
and the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra

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“What a wonderful contribution to our listening and learning. Who better than Richard Chenoweth to demonstrate the most important opera excerpts. He’s been the leading authority on the horn parts in opera for so many years, is a wonderful performer, and a remarkable teacher. The recordings are beautifully rendered with a rich and resonant sound. The overdubbing is quite masterfully done, and the annotations are astute, articulate, and useful, without ever becoming pedantic. This is an important new recording and an extremely valuable teaching/learning tool. Bravo, Richard!”

Professor Douglas Hill
University of Wisconsin - Madison

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“Richard Chenoweth has filled a much-needed gap in horn studies and done a great service by combining the knowledge gained in thirty-five years with the Santa Fe opera with his vast teaching experience—producing this excellent annotated aural guide to some of the important opera excerpts for horn. Knowing these excerpts is an essential part of every hornist’s education, but until now there been no such CD available. Kudos to Dr. Chenoweth for making all our lives easier and providing this valuable resource!”

Jeff Agrell
Professor of Horn, University of Iowa

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“What a treat! Great music and great playing! This fills a hole in the repertoire that most players (students especially) are not aware of, or ignore. The CD is well presented, informative, and in my mind, a must for any serious horn player.”

William Hoyt
Professor of Horn, University of Akron

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“This CD is a valuable tool for anyone interested in preparing Opera excerpts for the horn. The playing and commentary provide knowledge that goes well beyond just the notes. I will encourage my students to add this resource to their library.”

Bruce Henniss
The Ohio State University
Associate Professor of Horn

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“…congratulations on a well-crafted and valuable resource for this under-represented aspect of our repertoire! I especially like the use of the professional speaker for the verbal introductions… This wonderful new CD is the introduction to horn excerpts in opera that David Krehbiel’s Orchestral Excerpts for Horn CD is for the horn’s orchestral repertoire.”

Jeffrey Snedecker
President, International Horn Society
Professor of Horn, University of Central Washington

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“The Horn in Opera will be an invaluable addition to our profession! These opera excerpts, expertly performed by Richard Chenoweth, are often completely left out of traditional training. Richard’s CD makes me eager to listen to the entire opera to see how the parts fit with the singers! I cannot think of a better source: someone who has played in the Santa Fe Opera pit for 35 years! Bravo on a wonderful project, sure to be studied and enjoyed by students, teachers and professionals!”

Lisa Bontrager
Professor of Horn, Penn State University

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“Richard Chenoweth’s knowledge of and love for this literature shine through on this recording. Bravo!”

Paul Austin
Hornist, Grand Rapids (MI) Symphony

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“I just had the chance to listen to the CD, and I think it’s really excellent. Wonderful modeling of good, smart playing and some very beautiful sounds, indeed. It must have been a trip doing the overdubbing of the ensemble passages.”

Maestro Neil Gittleman
Music Director, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra