BaL 5.12.20 - Strauss: Horn Concerto no. 2

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 Building a Library
Sarah Willis chooses her favourite recording of Richard Strauss’s Second Horn Concerto.

For Romantic Austro-German composers, the horn was an instrument freighted with associations of forest, folklore and heroism. But no composer knew the horn and its possibilities like Richard Strauss: throughout a career beginning in the late 19th century and spanning eight decades, Strauss’s orchestral and operatic scores are littered with hundreds of wonderful horn moments, exploiting every aspect of the instrument’s range and character. In 1942, 60 years after he had written his first horn concerto (for his father Franz, Europe’s foremost horn virtuoso), Strauss dedicated his second ‘to the memory my father’. It’s a nostalgic work and, like the first concerto, fiendishly difficult to play. But it sums up Strauss’s long and affectionate relationship with the horn: the heroic and rhapsodic first movement, followed by a radiant, long-breathed Andante which is capped by a rollicking finale.

Available recordings:-

Hermann Baumann, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Kurt Masur
Dennis Brain, Philharmonia Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch
Joerg Brueckner, Münchner Philharmoniker, Semyon Bychkov *
Peter Damm, Staatskapelle Dresden, Rudolf Kempe
Viktor Galkin, Moscow RTV Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Fedoseyev *
Norbert Hauptmann, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
Norbert Hauptmann, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra,, Zubin Mehta
Ronald Janezic, Wiener Philharmoniker, André Previn *
Andrew Joy, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Werner Andreas Albert *
Martin van de Merwe, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Hans Vonk *
Marie-Luise Neunecker, Bamberg Symphony, Ingo Metzmacher *
Marie Luise Neunecker, Lubeck Philharmonic Orchestra, Roman Brogli-Sacher (SACD)
David Pyatt, Britten Sinfonia, Nicholas Cleobury *
Eric Ruske, IRIS Chamber Orchestra, Michael Stern *
Bruno Schneider, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Matthias Aeschbacher *
Samuel Seidenberg, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sebastian Weigle
Lars-Michael Stransky, Wiener Philharmoniker, André Previn
Barry Tuckwell, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Zdenek Tylar, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Jirí Belohlávek
Radovan Vlatkovic, English Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate *


* = download only

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Looking forward to this one, with no expectations of a particular winner. Anyone other than Peter Damm, with his very wobbling technique.

[makropulos]

Looking forward to this one, with no expectations of a particular winner. Anyone other than Peter Damm, with his very wobbling technique.

Very much looking forward to this. I'm so fond of the Brain/Sawallisch performance that I find it hard to imagine it being done better. The other ones I like a lot are Vlatkovic/ECO/Tate and Tuckwell/LSO/Kertesz which needs to be added to the list –it is in Decca's "The Art of Barry Tuckwell" set –I prefer it to his remake with Ashkenazy.. It'll be fascinating to hear more of them.

[Goon525]

I see a lot of Sarah Willis playing for the Berlin Phil, and doing various interviewing work also on DCH. I've also listened to her album of Cuban (and Mozart) music, and watched the 'making of...' documentary. She's quite a character and I'd expect this to be a good BaL.

[Leinster Lass]

The CD of David Pyatt playing both Strauss horn concertos also features the Duet Concertino and the Wind Serenade - a very enjoyable mixture of early and late works. It's available from Amazon and probably elsewhere.

[Pulcinella]

The CD of David Pyatt playing both Strauss horn concertos also features the Duet Concertino and the Wind Serenade - a very enjoyable mixture of early and late works. It's available from Amazon and probably elsewhere.

It's available on my shelves!

I've just had a listen to the second concerto to remind myself of it.

[Wolfram]

I think Stransky plays the first concerto on Previn's disk with the VPO. Janezic plays the second concerto.

[jayne lee wilson]

Inspired choice of reviewer! Sarah Willis is a terrifically engaging presenter, interviewer and of course a great horn player.... Often seen her on the DCH.
Adventurous recording artist - her recent Mozart Y Mambo album was a lotta fun.

But I've always found this Strauss work difficult to engage with...not sure why ..... so I'll seek out some recordings and try again.....if only to figure out why!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Just been reading Newman’s biography of Wagner . Franz Strauss was the archetypal Bolshie brass player ( apologies to those who are not ) - he hated Wagner so much that unlike the rest of the orchestra he refused to stand in tribute when the great man died . When he told conductor Hans Von Bülow that he was too tired to continuing rehearsing Von Bulow said “then take your pension . “ .Franz went straight to the manager and asked for his pension . Such was the esteem in which he was held he had to be cajoled into staying on. Even Wagner respected him ....
Are there any other fathers who’ve had such a magnificent ( and cogent ) musical tribute ?

[Tony Halstead]

Inspired choice of reviewer! Sarah Willis is a terrifically engaging presenter, interviewer and of course a great horn player.... Often seen her on the DCH.
Adventurous recording artist - her recent Mozart Y Mambo album was a lotta fun.

But I've always found this Strauss work difficult to engage with...not sure why ..... so I'll seek out some recordings and try again.....if only to figure out why!

Surely the reason why the 2nd horn concerto of Richard Strauss is difficult to engage with is that there are absolutely NO memorable melodies or 'tunes' in it!
The 2nd movement is certainly 'lyrical' in a sort-of passive and understated way, but not memorable at all. I suggest that among the recordings that you seek out, you try to find the Tuckwell / LSO/ Kertesz one which IMHO is superior to the later remake with the RPO and Ashkenazy.

[jayne lee wilson]

Surely the reason why the 2nd horn concerto of Richard Strauss is difficult to engage with is that there are absolutely NO memorable melodies or 'tunes' in it!
The 2nd movement is certainly 'lyrical' in a sort-of passive and understated way, but not memorable at all. I suggest that among the recordings that you seek out, you try to find the Tuckwell / LSO/ Kertesz one which IMHO is superior to the later remake with the RPO and Ashkenazy.

Well, there's a distinguished horn player's, God-given forgiveness for you! Thankyou Tony. I shall seek out your recommend...

In a much more relaxed and self-forgiving mood now, obviously....

[Goon525]

We hardly need the BaL now, after Mr Halstead’s recommendation! (Though I must admit to owning the David Pyatt.) I suspect that he may be right - this isn’t quite one of Strauss’s absolute masterpieces.

[makropulos]

Oh dear. I'd no idea that even distinguished horn players had it in for Strauss No. 2. I think it's an absolutely gorgeous piece and from the first time I heard it (about 50 years ago), the tune at the start lodged itself in my head. I love it. But I'm glad we agree on the Tuckwell/Kertesz record. I listened to it again this evening and it really is superb playing –and far, far more interestingly accompanied than his remake.

[Barbirollians]

Oh dear. I'd no idea that even distinguished horn players had it in for Strauss No. 2. I think it's an absolutely gorgeous piece and from the first time I heard it (about 50 years ago), the tune at the start lodged itself in my head. I love it. But I'm glad we agree on the Tuckwell/Kertesz record. I listened to it again this evening and it really is superb playing –and far, far more interestingly accompanied than his remake.

I only have the Brain and the Damm. The former is so wonderful I have never felt the need to search out any others .

[Richard Barrett]

Surely the reason why the 2nd horn concerto of Richard Strauss is difficult to engage with is that there are absolutely NO memorable melodies or 'tunes' in it!

Speaking as someone for whom melodies of any kind aren't a prerequisite for engaging with music, I would have to say that I disagree with this. I found it memorable from the first hearing, even if (in common with most horn concertos) it doesn't stray outside the received nostalgic and/or bucolic vocabulary of the instrument, although in late Strauss you wouldn't expect anything else.