ABSTRACT

This paper contains comprehensive historical information about, and a substantial analysis of, Brahms’ Horn Trio in Eb, opus 40. The information herein is intended for performers, and therefore contains many specific performance suggestions.

The first two chapters after the introduction are historical in content. Chapter two describes the composition of the piece, giving detailed historical information. The third chapter examines why Brahms chose to write the piece for natural horn instead of valve horn, providing relevant information on the history of the instrument. Both chapters two and three contain little original research. They are, rather, comprehensive assemblages of information that has previously been spread out over many different sources.

Chapters four through seven contain the analysis of the piece. Each movement has its own chapter and a table that shows important formal structures, key areas, themes and harmonies. The analysis is almost completely original, with footnotes indicating borrowed ideas. The aim of the analysis is to help inform a performance of the Horn Trio.

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Joshua Garrett was born in 1969 in New York City. He received his B.A. in 1990 from Amherst College, summa cum laude and phi beta kappa. At Amherst, Joshua studied composition with Lewis Spratlan and Roger Reynolds, and had a secondary focus in ancient Greek. He earned an M.A. in music theory at SUNY at Stony Brook, working with Sarah Fuller and Robert Gjerdingen, and also completed the requirements for an M.M. in horn, working with William Purvis.

As a scholarship doctoral student at the Juilliard School, Joshua continued his studies with William Purvis, and held a Jacob K. Javits Fellowship through the U.S. Department of Education. A fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in 1995-1996, he won the Harry Shapiro award for outstanding brass player. He has also attended the Aspen and Norfolk music festivals, and has studied with Thomas Haunton, Michael Hatfield, Douglas Hill, David Jolley and Carolyn Panasevich.

Joshua is currently third horn in the San Jose Symphony. He has played with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and toured with the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. He has been an instructor of music at Amherst College and SUNY at Stony Brook, and maintains a private horn studio.

To William Purvis

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This paper represents the last step in my "formal" education. There have been many along the way who have had guided my thinking about music and my development as a musician. They have, therefore, influenced this paper, and I must gratefully thank these wonderful people.

My first horn teacher, Carolyn Panasevich, guided my initial, magical encounter with Brahms’ Horn Trio. I cannot express how much she influenced me, both in music and in life. A wonderful human being and teacher, she is much of the reason why I am today a musician.

There have been other horn teachers as well who contributed to my horn playing and musicianship. Michael Hatfield, Thomas Haunton, Douglas Hill and David Jolley all influenced me greatly.

While at Amherst College, I was tremendously fortunate to have two mentors who formed the core of my college education. Lewis Spratlan is a truly brilliant composer, conductor, musician and teacher. His great mind, sense of humor, and true understanding of music have influenced me in more ways than I can comprehend. I am deeply, deeply grateful for his friendship and all he has given me. Frederick Griffiths of the Greek department taught me a tremendous amount about aesthetics and critical thinking and writing, and his support meant more to me than he could have realized.

I must also give my heartfelt thanks to Richard French, my doctoral adviser. His fantastic wit and sense of music are an inspiration to me. I thank him for his encouragement, guidance, and the countless smiles and chuckles that have resulted from his correspondences.

There are several other musicians and teachers whom I also heartily thank for their wonderful influences: Joseph Auner, Albert Fuller, Sarah Fuller, Robert Gjerdingen, Jenny Kallick, Joel Lester, Julius Levine and Joel Sachs.

On a personal level I thank my family for all their love and support. And, as ever, I thank Candace for everything. Without her, this would all mean nothing.

Finally, I thank William Purvis, to whom this paper is dedicated. Bill was my last horn teacher, and he supervised my transition from student to self-teacher. His ultimate goal was to teach me not to need him, and in doing so he provided me with tools that I shall use and value for the rest of my life. Bill has been a constant inspiration. He is a true role model, a musician who always thinks about what he is doing, always experiments, and always continues to learn. If I have absorbed even a fraction of what he has to offer, I consider myself a very, very lucky man.

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