My master recently got it into his head that he wanted to be a writer and attended school for about half a year. I was quite annoyed because with all the homeworks he had to submit on the computer, I couldn’t update my blog. He finally finished school the other day and submitted his graduation project, which he was so proud of, but it didn’t even come close to winning an award. Now, he’s depressed and says he’s going to “hang up his pen,” and he spends every day weeping in bed. Honestly…
While my master is easily bored, my admiration for Peter Damm remains unwavering. I was absolutely determined to update my blog today because today, July 27, 2025, is Damm-san’s 88th birthday.
To celebrate this auspicious day, I’d like to introduce a masterpiece for the horn that begins with a fanfare: Schumann’s “Konzertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra.”
Players and Recording
Conductor : Siegfried Kurz
Orchestra：Staatskapelle Dresden
Horn ： 1st Peter Damm, 2nd Klaus Pietzonka, 3rd Dieter Pansa,
4th Johannes Friemel
Recording Year：1983 ( Peter Damm at the age of 46）
Recording Venue ：Lukas Kirche, Dresden
About the piece
This is an extremely rare piece where four horns play solos with an orchestral accompaniment. It was composed in Dresden in 1849, the same year as the “Adagio and Allegro,” Op. 70, which I introduced previously. The triplet figure from the “Allegro” section is used as the main theme for the first movement of this work. Was it one of Schumann’s favorite horn phrases, I wonder?
Schumann himself called the orchestration of this piece “something quite curious” while also stating it was “one of my best pieces.” I want to savor the joy of being able to listen to this masterpiece—one that the prolific composer Schumann considered among his very best—in a recording by Peter Damm and the Staatskapelle Dresden Horn Section.
Wow, so even Schumann called it “one of my best pieces.”
Peter Damm is always best of my best.
My favorite
This piece is considered one of the most difficult for horn players, yet it is also an excellent work for enjoying the horn’s various timbres and ranges.
Since it’s performed by four players, they must match their tone and playing style. Peter Damm’s tone is distinctive even within the same horn section, but in this recording, the other three players match his tone and style so well that it makes you wonder, “Is this a multi-track recording?” I even get the feeling that the other three players are enjoying themselves, as if to say, “Look, we sound just like Peter Damm, don’t we?” For a fan like me, it feels like Peter Damm has been quadrupled, and it’s a performance that brings me immense joy.
【1st movement Lebhaft（Lively)】
The piece starts suddenly with a horn fanfare, and on the highest C, Damm-san adds a vibrato to the sustained note. It’s absolutely irresistible! I should also add that the final three beats of this movement are a masterful performance by the timpani.
【2nd movement Romanze（Slowly, but not too much) 】
The four players sing together softly and harmoniously. Without a pause, they continue into the third movement.
【3rd movement Sehr lebhaft（Much more lively）】
The momentum is unstoppable! Let’s listen to the end, gripping our seats in suspense!
” Quatro Peter Damm” is wonderful !
I can enjoy “Damm-flavor” 4 times at once!
