Louis-François Dauprat (1781–1868) was a French hornist, horn teacher and composer active in Paris. As a child he was a chorister at Notre Dame Cathedral, and from 1794 he was taught to play a cor basse (low horn) by Philip Kenn, first at the Institut National de Musique and later in the first horn class of the Conservatoire. After touring Italy and Egypt with various musical groups between 1799 and 1801, he played at the Theìâtre Montansier from 1801 to 1806. Dauprat later decided to return to study at the Conservatoire, this time for harmony and composition. He also studied with Anton Reicha, who composed the horn parts in his quintets for woodwinds specifically for Dauprat.
Dauprat can be seen as the pioneer of the Parisian horn tradition. His compositions move stylistically between the classical and romantic periods. In addition to operas and symphonies, he composed a whole series of works for solo horns: horn duets, horn trios, horn quartets, horn sextets, horn with string quartet and much more. These works are almost completely forgotten today, but they are precious treasures of early-Romantic chamber music, not only because of their enormous virtuosity but also because of the special cantabile qualities of the horn parts. Dauprat pushed the virtuosity of horn playing to a level that had been unrivalled until then. This is particularly pronounced in the works for horn and piano (Solo de Cor Op.11 No.3, Sonata Op.2), as well as the Duet (Op.13 No.6). In addition to the sonata form, the key of F major and the powerful opening motif, Dauprat’s sonata bears another similarity to the very well-known horn sonata by Beethoven (1800, Op.17): the piano part is also kept very virtuosic as an equal partner in the interplay.
Louis-François Dauprat was a French horn player, horn teacher and composer. He was born in Paris in 1781 and died there in 1868. As a child he was a chorister at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. From 1794 he was taught to play the horn by Philip Kenn, a cor basse (low horn); first at the Institut National de Musique and later in the first horn class of the Conservatoire. In 1797 he was the first horn player to be awarded the premier prix. After touring Italy and Egypt with various musical groups between 1799 and 1801 he settled in Paris, where he decided to study again at the Conservatoire, this time harmony and composition. He also studied with Anton Reicha, who composed the horn parts for Dauprat in his quintets for woodwinds.
Dauprat can be seen as the pioneer of the Parisian horn tradition. His compositions move stylistically between the classical and romantic periods. In addition to operas and symphonies, he composed a whole series of works for solo horns: horn duets, horn trios, horn quartets, horn sextets, horn with string quartet and much more. For horn players and the interpretation of Dauprat's works or those of his contemporaries, the Méthode de cor alto et cor basse (Paris, 1824) is particularly significant.
This recording presents works for horn in various groups: solos, duets, a horn sonata, and a quartet for four horns.
Booklet contains notes on the composer and his music, in English and German, as well as biographies of the artists.
