Wendell Hoss: Nine Studies for Horn

From the Preface:

I had the privilege of studying with Mr. Wendell Hoss from 1964–1966. He was the ultimate teacher: kind, persuasive, and possessed of a universal knowledge of the horn and of music.

These short etudes are vintage Hoss. They reflect his love of mixed meters—so important for good reading skills—and thoughtfully include stopped horn work (one is always on the lookout for ways to make stopped horn playing easier, more automatic!). His magnum opus, of course, was his edition of Bach’s Cello Suites, with which I think he found the perfect teaching tool for a fusion of pure music and flexible air use. Sound, flexibility, following the profile of the line with one’s air—all are contained in the Bach.

-David Jolley