BaL 5.12.20 - Strauss: Horn Concerto no. 2

[Nick Armstrong]

'Right, monkey'!

Great post, Tony (not least, the epithet! )

[Maclintick]

Only 2 weeks later I sold my Alexander horn, determined to strike out in a new direction for 'English horn players' , and, having heard the legendary Myron Bloom of the Cleveland Orchestra in that 1967 Edinburgh Festival, bought a lovely USA-made CONN horn, at that time generally shunned by UK horn players, but since about 1939 the 'default' horn for most USA orchestras, and very audibly by Hollywood film music orchestras.

Thanks for fascinating reminiscence, Tony. It had struck me that no American solo hornists or orchestras had made it into SW's survey, or indeed onto Alpie's list -- strange in that there are and were many wonderful players for whom Strauss 2 would have been a gift, Myron Bloom & Dale Clevenger for instance. I briefly trawled the internet but could find no recordings from across the Pond, either. Could the reason be that it is difficult to produce the correct sound on a Conn ?

[Petrushka]

Thanks for fascinating reminiscence, Tony. It had struck me that no American solo hornists or orchestras had made it into SW's survey, or indeed onto Alpie's list -- strange in that there are and were many wonderful players for whom Strauss 2 would have been a gift, Myron Bloom & Dale Clevenger for instance. I briefly trawled the internet but could find no recordings from across the Pond, either. Could the reason be that it is difficult to produce the correct sound on a Conn ?

Myron Bloom (Cleveland Orchestra/Szell) and William Caballero (Pittsburgh SO/Honeck) did record the more popular Horn Concerto No 1 though.

[Maclintick]

Myron Bloom (Cleveland Orchestra/Szell) and William Caballero (Pittsburgh SO/Honeck) did record the more popular Horn Concerto No 1 though.

Maybe they concurred with Tony Halstead's initial judgement of Strauss HC2 "that there are absolutely NO memorable melodies or 'tunes' in it!" & thought it not worth doing. Many conductors and performers, particularly of generations past, weren't "completists" -- e.g. HVK in relation to Mahler -- & only performed works with which they had total sympathy..