BaL 2.01.21 - Brahms: Horn Trio Op. 40

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 - Building a Library
Natasha Loges recommends her favourite recording of Brahms’s Trio in E flat major for Horn, Violin and Piano, Op. 40.

Available recordings:-

Stefan Blonk, Franc Polman, Riko Fukuda
Myron Bloom, Michael Tree, Rudolf Serkin *
Aubray Brain, Adolf Busch, Rudolf Serkin
Dennis Brain, Max Salpeter, Cyril Preedy*
John Cerminaro, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Cecile Licad *
Alan Civil, Yehudi Menuhin, Hephzibah Menuhin
Andrew Clark, Catherine Martin, Geoffrey Govier *
Etienne Cutajar, Carmine Lauri, John Reid
Peter Damm, Manfred Scherzer, Amadeus Webersinke *
Danish Horn Trio *
Olivier Darbellay, Noëlle-Anne Darbellay, Benjamin Engeli
Joseph Eger, Henryk Szeryng, Victor Babin
Ensemble Isola
Alec Frank-Gemmill, Benjamin Marquise Gilmore, Daniel Grimwood (SACD)
Lowell Greer (natural horn), Stephanie Chase, Steven Lubin *
Mischa Greull, Andreas Janke, Seung-Yeun Huh
David Guerrier, Renaud Capuçon, Nicolas Angelich
Martin Hackleman, Martin Beaver, Jane Coop *
Norbert Hauptmann, Thomas Brandis, Tamás Vásáry
Günther Högner, Erich Binder, András Schiff
Mason Jones, Alexander Schneider, Mieczyslaw Horszowski *
Hervé Joulain, Jean-Jacques Kantorow , Marie-Josephe Jude *
Stephan Katte (natural horn), Abegg Trio
Richard King, Amy Lee, Orli Shaham *
Felix Klieser, Andrej Bielow, Herbert Schuch
Franz Koch, Walter Barylli, Franz Holetschek
Rob van de Laar, Mathieu van Bellen, Thomas Beijer (SACD)
Joël Lasry, Pierre Fouchenneret, Eric Le Sage
Axel Malm, Charles Barkel, Gunnar de Frumerie
Luc Van Marcke, Trio Aglae
Floris Mijnders, Sonja van Beek, Andreas Frolich *
Dariusz Mikulski, Nina Karmon, Lars Jonsson
Munchner Horntrio
Philip Myers, Elmira Darvarova, Bryan Wagorn#
Nash Ensemble
Marie-Luise Neunecker, Antje Weithaas, Silke Avenhaus (SACD)
Francis Orval, Arthur Grumiaux, György Sebök
Premysl Vojta, Smetana Trio
William Purvis, Daniel Phillips, Richard Goode
Eric Ruske, Jennifer Frautschi, Stephen Prutsman *
St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, John Browning
Neill Sanders, Emanuel Hurwitz, Lamar Crowson *
Gerd Seifert (horn), Eduard Drolc, Christoph Eschenbach *
Yakov Shapiro, Leonid Kogan, Emil Gilels *
Stephen Stirling, Dussek Piano Trio
Stephen Stirling, Anthony Marwiid, Susan Tomes *
Ferenc Tarjáni, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Dezsõ Ránki *
Michael Thompson, Rostislav Dubinsky, Luba Edlina
Michael Thornton, Yumi Hwang-Williams, Andrew Litton
Wolfgang Tomboeck, Johannes Tomboeck, Madoka Inui
Barry Tuckwell, Brenton Langbein, Maureen Jones
Barry Tuckwell, Itzhak Perlman. Vladimir Ashkenazy
Barry Tuckwell, Leonard Sorkin, Naomi Zaslav
Pierre Del Vescovo, Pierre Amoyal, Michel Dalberto
Villa Musica Ensemble
Wolfgang Vladar, Bojidara Kouzmanova-Vladar, Magda Amara
Radovan Vlatkovic, Hans Maile, Vladimir Ashkenazy *
Sebastian Weigle, Wolf Dieter Streicher, Claudius Tanski
Teunis van der Zwart (Waldhorn), Isabelle Faust, Alexander Melnikov

(* = download only)

[verismissimo]

As so often, I'm astonished how many there are in Alpie's fine list!

It's a favourite Brahms work that I've heard several times in the concert hall, most often from Endymion.

Of course the only recording I've ever had is not there - presumably nla - Hermann Baumann, Stoika Milanova and Malcolm Frager on a BASF LP from 1973.

Distinctly time for something new. But what? Help!

[mikealdren]

I have two versions: the Zwart version and Eger, Szeryng and Babin which is still available as a download from Presto.

[richardfinegold]

Was it written for a natural or a valves horn? I’ve got the Tuckwell/Perlman/Azhkenazy and that might be it...

[Bryn]

Was it written for a natural or a valves horn? I’ve got the Tuckwell/Perlman/Azhkenazy and that might be it...

The former: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horn_Trio_(Brahms) + http://www.public.asu.edu/~jqerics/b...ural-horn.html

[rauschwerk]

Was it written for a natural or a valves horn? I’ve got the Tuckwell/Perlman/Azhkenazy and that might be it...

Brahms wrote it to be playable on the natural horn, but I'm sure that Tuckwell would have played a valved instrument on that recording.

[visualnickmos]

Was it written for a natural or a valves horn? I’ve got the Tuckwell/Perlman/Azhkenazy and that might be it...

I have this recording too, plus Bloom, Tree, Serkin - a stunning recording.

[Bryn]

Brahms wrote it to be playable on the natural horn, but I'm sure that Tuckwell would have played a valved instrument on that recording.

Brahms was quite specific about the use of the natural horn in this work. Unless a valved horn is played as if it was a natural horn, relying solely on hand-stopping, without resorting to the valves, the timbres will not match with the composer's intentions.

[verismissimo]

Brahms was quite specific about the use of the natural horn in this work. Unless a valved horn is played as if it was a natural horn, relying solely on hand-stopping, without resorting to the valves, the timbres will not match with the composer's intentions.

Indeed, so Zwart has to be a strong contender. Who's heard it? Reports please.

[Bryn]

Indeed, so Zwart has to be a strong contender. Who's heard it? Reports please.

Currently streaming from Qobuz, here. It was no easy matter to find it there. The Qobuz search 'facility' leaves much to be desired. I bought the CD 4 years ago but am not sure where I have (mis)filed it. Faust and Melnikov also use appropriate instruments. It's superb, as one might expect for such musicians.

[rauschwerk]

Brahms was quite specific about the use of the natural horn in this work. Unless a valved horn is played as if it was a natural horn, relying solely on hand-stopping, without resorting to the valves, the timbres will not match with the composer's intentions.

Yes, but timbre isn't everything, is it? There are many other factors in a successful performance.

[Bryn]

Yes, but timbre isn't everything, is it? There are many other factors in a successful performance.

Bottom line, it was composed to be played on the natural horn, NOT the valve horn. Brahms was quite insistent on the matter. Employ a valve and it is no longer the Brahms Horn Trio but an arrangement.

[visualnickmos]

Bottom line, it was composed to be played on the natural horn, NOT the valve horn. Brahms was quite insistent on the matter. Employ a valve and it is no longer the Brahms Horn Trio but an arrangement.

I somehow doubt that will be a deal-breaker, in itself; but will a natural horn be the "chosen one?"

[Bryn]

The Greer/Chase/Lubin is also good, though my preference is for the Zwart/Faust/Melnikov.

[silvestrione]

Currently streaming from Qobuz, here. It was no easy matter to find it there. The Qobuz search 'facility' leaves much to be desired. I bought the CD 4 years ago but am not sure where I have (mis)filed it. Faust and Melnikov also use appropriate instruments. It's superb, as one might expect for such musicians.

I'll say! Fortunately I have the disc, on which Melnikov plays a fine instrument, a Bosendorfer 1875, also in the op.116 pieces.