24 Horn Trios (Reicha)

24 Horn Trios, Op. 82 is a collection of horn trios composed by Anton Reicha. The trios are scored for 3 horns or 2 horns and a bassoon. The work was published in Paris before 1815 (the exact date of publication is unknown) and is well established in the horn repertoire today.[1]

Reicha was a flautist in his youth and composed a large number of works for wind instruments, among which were duos, trios and quartets for wind ensembles. Compositions for several identical instruments were apparently a particular favorite, as witnessed by, for example, flute quartets Op. 12 and Op. 27, or Variations for two flutes Op. 20. The trios of Op. 82 are part of this trend, and also reflect Reicha's interest in pedagogy,[2] as well as his affinity for counterpoint. The collection is divided into four parts, six trios each. Numerous genres and forms are represented: there are canonic trios and a full-fledged fugue, a set of variations, dances such as minuet and musette, character pieces and short technical exercises or jokes such as Trio No. 15, subtitled Tritonus, in which the upper voice is restricted to using only the three tones.