For those who find the French horn to be the noblest of the classical orchestral instruments, Will Latham’s senior recital on Sunday, Oct. 28, was a real treat.
Latham’s recital, the culmination of several months of careful compilation and practice, featured a healthy helping of classical and late romantic compositions with the additional smattering of more contemporary work in the form of Anthony Plog’s “Eckig Blues.” Throughout the performance, Latham demonstrated with little demerit his ability to control and round the powerful bursts from his horn. His articulated and well-rounded performance was aided through most of the set by his talented accompanist and faculty pianist, Chin Mi Jean.
They began with Mozart’s “Concerto No. 4.” The first movement allowed the recitalist to present and develop an articulated, reverberate sound which carried into the second movement, “Romante andante”. The following movement, “Allegro rondo,” was much more waltz-like. It was even similar in style to the “Romance for Horn and Piano” by Alexander Scriabin which preceded directly after the Mozart. It was a recognizable favorite which was executed admirably in Latham’s competent hands and pipes.
After the Scriabin piece, Latham segued into a solo piece called “Intrada” by Otto Kenning in which he most clearly demonstrated the sonority and room-filling presence of his playing.
After a short intermission, there was a drastic shift in form.
The next piece saw the recitalist leading a brass quintet in a somewhat marshal tune composed by Victor Ewald which showcased the ability of the quintet more broadly to deliver the short and powerful bursts indicative of horn-playing in the popular perception.
Latham returned to the pace set in “Romante andante” with “Villanelle,” another waltz-like tune by Paul Duka.
Finally, to end the evening Latham closed with “Eckig Blues,” which can best be described as a type of esoteric jazz in short-form which rounded out the recital with a more contemporary work.
Latham’s performance can best be described as charming and enjoyable, especially the Mozart portion which was executed smartly and made me confident in leaving the works of the beloved composer in his most capable hands.
Latham is currently preparing for graduate school auditions where he plans to major in music performance.
