A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Chasse, À la

CHASSE, À LA, a term applied to music which intentionally imitates hunting or contains horn passages suggesting it. Such are Méhul's overture to 'Le Jeune Henri,' the hunting choruses in 'The Seasons,' and in 'Der Freischütz.' But this does not excuse the French publisher who entitled Beethoven's overture in C (op. 115) 'La Chasse,' because of a passage for two horns in the introduction, or the German publisher who followed him in designating it 'Jagd-ouverture.'

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