SONATA FOR 4 HORNS Opus 22 (1981) 17'
3 movements

This Sonata for 4 Horns was commissioned by the British Horn Society and first performed by Julian Faultless, Ruth Wilkinson, James Lowe and Richard Duckett at the Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill, Birmingham on October 18th 1981.

The American premiere took place on 28th March 1995 at the University of New Mexico Composers' Symposium. The performers were Ellen and Doug Campbell, Stanislav Suchanek and James Lowe.

Subsequent American performances at the University of Oregon on 17th October 1995 by the Doug Campbell Quartet; at the University of New Mexico by the University Horn Quartet in June 2000; and at the 35th International Horn Symposium at Indiana University on 7th June 2003 by David G.Elliott, Joanne Filkins and Mick & Karin Sehmann.

The Vienna Horn Society (The 'Wiener Waldhornverein') gave the first Austrian performance as a Horn Choir at a Salon Concert at the Josefina Fraternity Hall in Vienna on 23rd January 1998, and as a result commissioned a Suite for 6 Horns or Horn Choir from the composer (see below).

The Central England Ensemble Horn Quartet performed the second movement in the Eglise de la Madeleine, Paris, in February 2007.

The hornists of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra gave performances of the work at Forest Theatre, Revnice, Czech Republic in June 2012 and at the Synagogue, Floss, Germany in September 2012.

A CD recording of the Sonata was made in February 2001 by the Vienna Horn Society (performers: Roland Fritsch, Suzanne Langor, James Lowe and Roland Horvath). The CD, on the Aricord label and entitled Messen und Sonaten (CDA 30111), also includes Andrew Downes' Piano Sonata No.1 performed by Anne Madison, and was recorded in the Baumgarten Studios, Vienna, and produced by Joseph Kamykowsky (click to buy CD).

In March 2008 the Horns of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra recorded the work for CD entitled Andrew Downes: Music for Horns and Wagner Tubas. It is released on the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Artesmon label (AS 729-2). This recording has been broadcast many times on Musicians Page Radio, Los Angeles, USA.

'The hornists of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra have produced a first-rate performance of three excellent works for horns or Wagner tubas by Andrew Downes...
'The Sonata for Four Horns... is beautifully written with many musical influences and inspirations ranging from hunting motifs to Gregorian chant, and jazz to native American. It is well worth the time and effort of preparation for any quartet seeking to add a substantial, yet audience-friendly work to their repertoire.' THE HORN CALL

- See more at: http://www.andrewdownes.com/Instrumental-Ensemble.html#HORNS