Verne Reynolds' Horn Handbook Review by Pamela J. Marshall, Cornucopia, January 1998

Verne Reynolds, retired professor of horn at Eastman, has written a book that takes me right back to his studio where I studied twenty years ago. His book carefully documents the course of study he has given to several decades of horn players. His passion for informed music making is evident throughout the book.

He begins with fundamentals -- breathing, embouchure development, warm-up, practice goals, management of performance anxiety -- and suggests systematic approaches for mastering each area. His discussion is for the advanced player; this is not a beginner's book.

Reynolds devotes much of the book to horn literature and fine details of interpretation. He begins with Kopprasch, discussing some etudes bar by bar, pointing out details that bring out musicality or produce the most training benefit. He covers other advanced etudes, including his own, as well as sonatas and concertos, with important tips for the pianist as well as the horn player. There are no scores in the book; the reader has to supply them to follow the discussion.

An important part of my lessons was the A-Z coverage of orchestral excerpts. Reynolds provides detailed suggestions for both solo and tutti parts; he expects the teacher to teach much more than the big solos.

The book is beautifully printed, but the design would have benefited from more subtitles and running headers. If you open the book to the middle, you have to search to find out what music is being discussed. The index lists all the music discussed but not concepts. As you read, I suggest you bookmark the passages that resonate with you because you will want to find them again.

Some themes reappear throughout the text -- memorizing, methodical practice to overcome limitations, and thorough preparation, including score study. Reynolds' book has practical suggestions for achieving all of these goals.

Pam is a composer and horn player in Lexington. Her horn music is available from Spindrift Music www. spindrift.com. She would like to thank Mr. Reynolds for his kind mention of her solo horn music in his book.

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