INTRADA FOR TRUMPET OR HORN by Otto Ketting

INSTRUMENTATION: Unaccompanied Horn
PUBLISHER: 1958, 1977 Donemus, Amsterdam
COST: ~$30.00
LENGTH: Unmeasured, Approximately 3 minutes
CAN BE FOUND ON IMSLP: No
YOUTUBE: Austin Larson
SPOTIFY: Michelle Stebleton, Marathon
iTUNES: Eric Ruske, Me and My Horn
GRADE/DIFFICULTY (1 easy, 6 very difficult): 3.5
EXTENDED TECHNIQUES: Trills, Bends
RANGE (horn pitch):

Dutch composer Otto Ketting (b. 1935), son of a composer, studied trumpet at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and composition with his father. He played trumpet in the Hague Residentie-Orkest for seven years, before quitting for further composition study with Karl Hartmann in Munich. After studying with Hartmann he decided to focus solely on composition later becoming an instructor and lecturer at Rotterdam Conservatory and the Royal Conservatory. Ketting’s compositional style does not include functional tonality.

Intrada was composed in 1958 and unfolds with two related but purposefully different atonal-like melodies which begin, mark the midpoint, and end the piece. These melodies are deconstructed, developed, and extended throughout the piece using extensive and brilliant fanfare passages and also declamatory statements with lament-like broadness. It is best to err on the side of less volume and pay more attention to the composers markings. Expressiveness, especially delineating a marked difference between the Cantabile and Decido sections is the key. It is rare to find a Dutch composer who is NOT Jan Koetsier. Do what you can to highlight the work of all Dutch composers for horn!