Kopprasch Project Continued, No. 34

October 10, 2011•Etudes, Reference, Teaching

Etude No. 34 (the final study in Book 1) marks the end of my Kopprasch project, at least for the immediate future.  Suggested tempo is quarter=96, although the Cornopub edition lists a range from quarter=80-120. The biggest issue in the first half is finding a place to breath. It is possible to play from measure 5-12 in a single breath, but in the interest of clarity and tone quality I found it necessary to catch a breath at the end of measure 10.  I felt pretty good about this particular “take,” although six measures from the end there is what is known in the lexicon of clams as a “no-speaky.”  Verne Reynolds doesn’t hold back in his opinion of No. 34 in The Horn Handbook, noting that this is “Kopprasch at his most predictable and repetitious.” (p. 61) He does point out, however, that changing the articulations, rhythms, dynamics, and transposition can breath new life in this study. For my part, I found improved endurance and more consistent articulations among the benefits of practicing this etude.  Coming up on Wednesday: some final thoughts on this project, and news on future projects.