CONCLUSION

In the introduction, I mentioned a couple of ways in which the Horn Trio is a special piece. Since then, we have seen many others. The unique form of the first movement, the archaic qualities of the slow movement, the ways in which the dark half steps permeate the music - these are all parts of what makes the Horn Trio the piece that it is, different from all others.

There is, however, one thing that seems to be the source of many of the different qualities that make the trio so special: the death of Brahms’ mother. As we have seen, this loss certainly set the mood of the slow movement. It helped determine the folk-song theme of the finale that appears so hauntingly in the adagio, as well as the departures and returns of the first movement’s unique form.

Brahms’ loss, we have seen, also helped determine the special instrumentation of the piece. All three instruments Brahms chose, remember, were studied by Brahms when he was a child. This decision, and particularly the choice of natural horn, helped in turn to determine all sorts of musical factors. We have examined how the use of stopped notes affects many things, from local colors to large scale formal perception. We have seen themes that seem to have been created specifically for the natural horn. The use of half steps to represent an intruding darkness is particularly appropriate to an instrument that cannot play half steps without a notable change in tone color. The use of horn calls and rising perfect intervals throughout the piece, and particularly in the last movement, is similarly a direct result of Brahms’ choice of natural horn, which is in turn a direct result of Brahms’ loss.

On a larger scale, the whole piece reflects a journey through grief and loss to the celebration of life that lies on the other side - the journey of mourning. This is, precisely, the departure and return we have talked so much about. The quiet reflection of the opening is immediately contrasted with dark half steps. As the piece progresses, the darkness creeps in more and more, taking over in many ways. The adagio allows the darkness to have its say, with the result being a true, deep time of grieving. After this descent into sadness, the finale struggles to return to joy and celebration, and finally succeeds. For many who have lost a loved one, this journey is familiar.

What Brahms has done, then, is extraordinary. Beginning with an idea, an emotional world, he has constructed a piece that reflects that world on every level, from instrumentation to form to thematic content to key area to everything else. The Horn Trio has complete integrity. This is precisely one of the things that makes Brahms a truly great composer.

And what does this knowledge do for the performer? What, indeed, does this whole paper do for the performer?

There are many perfectly valid ways to play the Horn Trio. We can get together and read for fun, enjoying each other’s company and reveling in great music. We can go in completely blind and learn from the technical challenge. We can simply enjoy the sport-like aspect of performance, seeing just how fast we can play the last movement and not collapse.

What Brahms has given us, however, is a great work of art. If we are even to approach living up to this tremendous responsibility, we must understand as much as possible what Brahms wanted, what he was trying to convey. The more we study the music and the more we accept or reject various concepts, the more we can pass on to an audience. In the end, it comes down to giving ourselves intelligent choices, and choosing.

Hopefully, this paper has helped give you some choices. Absorb them, rehearse them, bring them in, kick them out, and then, when you are on stage, stop thinking so much and let your bodies create the music anew.

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