Duo no. 3 for two horns, KV 487: Andante

About this work

In Duet no. 3, K. 487, the Andante marking still leaves room for quick runs and close imitation. One voice presents a figure, the other extends or reverses it, and the roles then change. This dialogue gives the page an unusually contrapuntal character for such a concise duet.
Connect every run to the phrase
Practise the semiquaver scales without rushing their final note. Each run should lead into a sustained note or cadence rather than sound like a separate exercise. In imitative passages, bring out the new entry and then return it to the shared texture. Coordinated breaths help preserve continuity across the two repeated sections.
At a moderate tempo, the challenge is less about speed than about keeping contrary motion clear. Hear the lower part as a genuine phrase, especially when it leaves its repeated notes. The upper line can then retain its shape without becoming automatically dominant.
The PDF presents the complete Andante on one page. The MIDI file is a useful guide to the order of entries and transitions. This engraving by Han-Wen Nienhuys is published by the Mutopia Project and is in the public domain. Browse more horn music on LesPartitions.info.