Alan Civil -Mozart recordings

[Barbirollians]

On visiting a friend recently I was struck by a tape she was playing of Mozart Horn Concertos and I asked her who was playing and it was Alan Civil but as the tape had been made for her she did not know who was conducting . I liked the horn playing a lot

As embarrassingly I only have Dennis Brain in these pieces ! I wondered if forumites could recommend one of Civil's versions - I see he made three with Klemperer, Kempe and Marriner but on gramophone.net for example all the reviewers seem to disagree on which version is best and no I dont want all three !!!

[visualnickmos]

I have his version with Klemperer - it was one of the series on EMI some years ago celebrating the anniversary of Mozart. It is IMHO a lovely version - speeds are good (I know some will disagree) but it is decidedly not slow!!! And the clarity and engineering of the recording is superb, despite it's age. Oh - it is stereo!

That is my recommendation, for what it's worth.
Nick

[Biffo]

I have the CD set with Marriner, three discs that also include the Clarinet, Flute and Oboe concertos and the Flute & Harp concerto. In its original LP incarnation the set also included the Wind Sinfonia Concertante (more than you wanted to know, I am sure!). Over the years I have enjoyed the Horn Concertos so much that I never really considered buying another set though eventually I did pick up the Brain/Karajan GROC in a sale.

[umslopogaas]

I'll second #2 visualnickmos, I've got the original Columbia LP of Civil with the Philharmonia conducted by Klemperer and its very fine. With that and Brain's classic performance you are well set up: Brain is marvellous, but he is in rather boxy mono sound.

[Barbirollians]

Intriguing - just waiting for someone to put in a word for the Kempe !

I looked on Spotify and all i could find of any of his recordings was the finale of No4 in the Kempe reading on a ghastly looking double complilation called Myleene's music for mothers - a selection of popular classics for pregnancy and motherhood by the ubiquitous Ms Klass .

Despite this unfortunate provenance - it sounds like a super performance !

[Biffo]

Why not do it yourself!

[Barbirollians]

LOL so I did .

[barber olly]

Intriguing - just waiting for someone to put in a word for the Kempe !

I looked on Spotify and all i could find of any of his recordings was the finale of No4 in the Kempe reading on a ghastly looking double complilation called Myleene's music for mothers - a selection of popular classics for pregnancy and motherhood by the ubiquitous Ms Klass .

Despite this unfortunate provenance - it sounds like a super performance !

I remember it on a World Record Club LP - amazing what they don't get around to putting on CD. Meanwhile I'll suggest the Tuckwll/Maag.

[Barbirollians]

I remember it on a World Record Club LP - amazing what they don't get around to putting on CD. Meanwhile I'll suggest the Tuckwll/Maag.

The Civil/Kempe was released on an EMI Eminence CD in the early 1990s but is long since deleted . I have picked a cheap copy up on Amazon as it is much cheaper than any of the available Klemperer or Marriner .

[Tony Halstead]

I have all three!
The Kempe version has the worst, 'boxiest' sound and Mr Civil's tone is not heard in all its full glory.
The Klemperer IMHO 'IS a bit too slow in places, despite what another boarder has opined.
The recording that really captures his superb tone most realistically and is altogether the most stylish and 'musical' is the Philips one with the ASMF and Marriner.
Glorious.

[Barbirollians]

I have all three!
The Kempe version has the worst, 'boxiest' sound and Mr Civil's tone is not heard in all its full glory.
The Klemperer IMHO 'IS a bit too slow in places, despite what another boarder has opined.
The recording that really captures his superb tone most realistically and is altogether the most stylish and 'musical' is the Philips one with the ASMF and Marriner.
Glorious.

Thanks waldhorn - I fear I am going to end up with all three now !

[Alf-Prufrock]

One good reason for having the Klemperer version is that the violins are divided left and right. There are some delightful backwards and forwards moments that you don't get on other versions that I possess where the violins are massed on the left. (I do not possess either the Marriner or Kempe versions.)

[Barbirollians]

I have now received the Kempe. I understand what Waldhorn means although compensating rather is Kempe's accompaniment which strikes me as much more characterful than Karajan for Dennis Brain .

Civil's playing is very much in the spirit of Leutgeb and I enjoyed it very much but as far as my ears tell me - no matter what he was playing from Mozart to Britten - nobody comes close to Dennis Brain -he was beyond compare.