Day 185: Viennese Horn teachers
36yearsago.com
Vienna 1971—A Student Journal
A year of music, study, travel, sightseeing &
friends.
Day
185 — Viennese Horn teachers
03-February-1972
(Donnerstag–Thur.)
TRANSCRIPT
(Horn quarter in Bad
Aussee L-R: Fischer, Gabler, Tomböck, and
unknown. Courtesy of www.pizka.de.)
Lessons. So-so. Learned a new tip. In having more air
support when playing the horn, I should think of how
it is to “grunt” while excreting. It really helps and
it’s a great way to learn how to push and support the
air with your diaphragm—because everyone knows the
feeling.
Played horn later with Dr. Paul. I wasn’t doing my
best and was letting everyone know about it. So, he
got very enthusiastic and was really trying to help.
Sometimes it helps. Sometimes, I think I’m beyond
help. He’s actually a really nice elderly man. (Used
to be an excellent and well-known solo Vienna horn
player.)
Have also been trying to study a little German and
French everyday. The French seems to be coming
along—remembering. Not easy though.
REFLECTIONS
Vintage
photo. The
opening photo is of a quartet of Viennese horns.
Prof. Gabler is the 2nd from the left. Notice that
all of the horn players look Austrian, wearing
lederhosen and shorts. Young Prof. Gabler is the only
one dressed differently. I knew he was a REBEL. I
love the photo. (Courtesy of Prof. Pizka at
www.pizka.de.)
Dr.
Paul helps me with the horn. I am
taking a few horn lessons with Dr. Paul, solo horn of
the Vienna Radio Symphony (probably retired). And he
is really trying to help me. I liked that and he was
very friendly. When it comes to learning the horn, I
think that I am my own worst enemy. I always appear
to be frustrated. I think that this probably normal
for young students and in real life I don’t think it
was a bad as it sounds in my journal.
Not
a pro. I knew
that I was not attempting to become a professional
horn player—you have to play perfectly for
that—however, I did want to become the best that I
could. Not to be so pessimistic, after Vienna, I did
play horn for many years as a student at Indiana and
Ohio State Universities, as a teacher, and in local
orchestras and chamber ensembles.
These photos are used with the permission of Prof. Pizka and remain the copyright of the respective copyright holders. I speak more in depth of Prof. Pizka’s horn website at Day 187, two days from now.
John
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