Matt Wasson
LOOSE CANONS for horn octet
Full Score
Written for the 2016 International Horn Society Composition Contest. INSTRUMENTATION 8 Horns in F Duration: c. 7 minutes
Performance Notes All parts require straight mutes. It is recommended for the mutes to be hung on a string, especially for ensembles which choose to stand while performing. Horns 3 and 4 may wish to use stop mutes. In moments where some players are muted and some are open, the mutes are intended to alter timbre only, not volume. Therefore, the written dynamic should be considered the “resultant” dynamic. Muted players may have to play “louder” in order for their resultant volume to match that of the non-muted players. In moments when all players are muted, play with “normal” dynamics. The piece may be performed with or without a conductor. In any case, players should be arranged in a single shallow arc – close enough to play well together but spread out as much as possible so the audience can perceive spatial changes in the music.
Program Notes I liked the idea of a piece of music that represented the idea of a “loose cannon.” Cannons are pieces of machinery with a specific and directional function. Another piece I had been working on got me thinking about instruments as pieces of machinery – as complete machines themselves and as components of a larger whole, namely an ensemble. In this case, however, the projectile is sound. Idiomatically, a loose cannon is someone whose behavior is uncontrollable or unpredictable. As a horn player, I’ve spent many frustrating hours contemplating the apparent futility of attempting to bend such an unwieldy piece of metal to my will. This piece sets out to describe (in musical terms) that feeling of unease that can come with operating an unpredictable machine, and perhaps even some of the triumph that comes with doing so successfully. Unable to resist the pun, I’ve structured this piece as a series of canons (when two or more instruments – or voices – play the same music starting at different times), all based on the same material, “loosely” assembled together in contrasting scenarios. Often, the players are assigned musical material in pairs, playing the same music at the same time, but at different pitch levels. The music unfolds in a traditional fast-slow-fast structure, albeit in such a way that aims to keep the listener guessing until the end. M.W.
Loose Canons for horn octet
Ver y dr y and rhythmic = 100 Horn 1 in F
3 4
Matt Wasson
Horn 2 in F
3 4
Horn 3 in F
3 4
crisp
Horn 4 in F
3 4 crisp
Horn 5 in F
43
crisp
Horn 6 in F
43
crisp
Horn 7 in F
3 4
plainly, without
much expression Horn 8 in F
3 4
plainly, without
much expression
4
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 6
2
F Hn. 8
F Hn. 7
7
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
3
11 F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
4
F Hn. 6
16 15
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
(4:3 composite rhythm w/ Hns. 1&2)
F Hn. 6
(4:3 composite rhythm w/ Hns. 1&2)
F Hn. 5
5
19
F Hn. 1
44
43
44
43
44
43
4 4
43
4 4
43
4 4
43
44
43
44
43
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
6
F Hn. 1
3 4
23
F Hn. 2
3 4
F Hn. 3
3 4
F Hn. 4
43
F Hn. 5
43
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
43
F Hn. 8
3 4
43
7
27
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
8
34 31
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
9
35
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
10
39 F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
always sustain
F Hn. 7
always sustain F Hn. 8
11
43
F Hn. 1
G.P.
42
43
42
43
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
42
43
2 4
3 4
2 4
3 4
2 4
3 4
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
43
42
42
43
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
12
47 3 F Hn. 1 4
G.P.
44
43
3 4
44
43
4 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
44
43
44
43
44
43
F Hn. 2
3 4
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
3 4
F Hn. 5
3 4
F Hn. 6
3 4
F Hn. 7
43
F Hn. 8
3 4
13
51
3 F Hn. 1 4
F Hn. 2
3 4
F Hn. 3
43
F Hn. 4
43
muted F Hn. 5
43
3
3 3 3
pulsing
F Hn. 6
43
F Hn. 7
3 4
F Hn. 8
3 4
14
55 =
( = 76)
muted
F Hn. 1
muted F Hn. 2
muted
F Hn. 3
smooth, connected
muted
F Hn. 4
smooth, connected
muted
F Hn. 5
smooth, connected
muted
F Hn. 6
muted
F Hn. 7
smooth, connected
muted
F Hn. 8
15
60
F Hn. 1
smooth, connected
F Hn. 2
smooth, connected
F Hn. 3
mute out
mute out
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
smooth, connected
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
16
smooth, connected
F Hn. 1
64
F Hn. 2
stopped F Hn. 3
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
stopped F Hn. 4
F Hn. 8
17
68
F Hn. 1
3
3
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
18
72 F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
19
76
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
20
82 80
F Hn. 1
44
F Hn. 2
44
muted
F Hn. 3
44 muted
F Hn. 4
4 4
F Hn. 5
4 4
4 4
44
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
4 4
21
84
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
22
F Hn. 1
90
3+2+2
88
7 8
44
78 4 4
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
7 8
(muted)
44 (muted)
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
4 7 8 4
7 8
4 4
7 8
4 4
open
F Hn. 7
87
44 open
F Hn. 8
87
44
23
92
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
open
F Hn. 5
like a drone open
F Hn. 6
like a drone
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
24
3+2+2
95
F Hn. 1
87
44
87
44
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
7 8
F Hn. 4
7 4 8 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
4 4
F Hn. 7
7 8
44
F Hn. 8
7 8
7 8
7 8
44
4 4
44
25
98 open
4 F Hn. 1 4
like a drone open F Hn. 2
44
open F Hn. 3
44
like a drone open
F Hn. 4
44
F Hn. 5
44
F Hn. 6
4 4
F Hn. 7
44
like a drone
4 F Hn. 8 4
26
101
F Hn. 1
poco cresc.
F Hn. 2
poco cresc.
F Hn. 3
poco cresc.
F Hn. 4
poco cresc.
F Hn. 5
poco cresc.
F Hn. 6
poco cresc.
F Hn. 7
poco cresc.
F Hn. 8
poco cresc.
27
105 104
F Hn. 1
slowing slightly
Expansively
dim.
F Hn. 2
dim.
F Hn. 3
dim.
F Hn. 4
dim.
F Hn. 5
dim.
F Hn. 6
dim.
F Hn. 7
dim.
F Hn. 8
dim.
28
108
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
G.P.
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
29
114
no break
F Hn. 1
Funky, like clockwork Tempo I ( = 100)
115
43
F Hn. 2
43
F Hn. 3
34
F Hn. 4
3 4
F Hn. 5
3 4
3 4
43
43
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
30
118
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
31
121
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
32
126 124
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
33
128
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
34
131
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
35
134
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
36
F Hn. 8
F Hn. 4
137 F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
muted F Hn. 5
muted F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
37
142 muted
140
F Hn. 1
muted
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
38
143
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
39
145
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 6
40
F Hn. 8
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 7
148 open F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
open
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
41
153 152
F Hn. 1
open
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
open
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
42
157
155
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
43
158
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
44
161
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
45
165
164
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
Agressive, even a little ugly = ( = 134)
F Hn. 3
44
44
F Hn. 4
44
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 8
44
44
46
4 4
F Hn. 7
4 4
44
168
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
43
43
44
44
44
4 4
4 4
4 4
44
44
F Hn. 3
43
F Hn. 4
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 8
3 4
3 4
43
3 4
43
47
171 4 F Hn. 1 4
Urgently G.P.
43
44
43
44
43
44
4 4
4 4
4 4
44
44
F Hn. 2
44
F Hn. 3
44
F Hn. 4
3 3 3 3 4 4 4 3 3
F Hn. 5
44
3
3
44
3
3
3 3 3 3 4 3
F Hn. 7
3 3 3 3 43 3
F Hn. 6
3
4 4
3
3
4 F Hn. 8 4
3 4
3 4
48
174
F Hn. 1
4 4
F Hn. 2
44
F Hn. 3
44
4 4
44
44
44
F Hn. 8
44
F Hn. 7
F Hn. 6
F Hn. 5
F Hn. 4
49
177
G.P.
F Hn. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 3
F Hn. 4
3 3 3 3 3
F Hn. 5
3
3
F Hn. 7
3
3
3
3
F Hn. 8
50
3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3 3
F Hn. 6
3
180
don't slow down
F Hn. 1
no decresc.
F Hn. 2
no decresc.
F Hn. 3
5
5
F Hn. 4
3
F Hn. 5
3
3
F Hn. 6
3
F Hn. 7
until the end
F Hn. 8
until the end
11/17/16 Spokane, WA
51