Mozart Horn Concertos

[visualnickmos]

These are and have been, for many years (since a teenager through the 70s) one of my all-time favourite concerto collections, but which to choose as a library choice - multiple versions ARE permissible, given the massive and star studded choices available? Sometimes, what seems initially like a simple choice, is anything but... help!

[amateur51]

These are and have been, for many years (since a teenager through the 70s) one of my all-time favourite concerto collections, but which to choose as a library choice - multiple versions ARE permissible, given the massive and star studded choices available? Sometimes, what seems initially like a simple choice, is anything but... help!

Well let's hope that Hornspieler and Waldhorn share their favourites with us, before the rest of us make fools of ourselves.

[umslopogaas]

visualnickmos, since you and I are of approximately the same vintage, it seems impossible to deny the obvious: Dennis Brain and the Philharmonia, cond. Karajan, available only in mono as far as I know, I only have the LP, which incidentally was one of the most enduring catalogue items that Columbia ever offered: it went through pretty much every label change they ever offered.

However, there are others: Alan Civil and the Philharmonia, cond. Klemperer; Barry Tuckwell and the ASMF, cond. Marriner. AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES FORGET Michael Flanders and Donald Swann in 'Ill Wind', which is quite one of the funniest items I ever heard, it does nothing to diminish Mozart, but is a masterpiece of comedy.

"Oh I once had a whim and I had to obey it,
To buy a French Horn in a second-hand shop.
I polished it up and I started to play it,
in spite of the neighbors who BEGGED me to stop." ...

[Petrushka]

Dennis Brain and Karajan of course. It should be in every music lover's collection. Yes, it's in mono but, to be honest, it's not that much of a drawback considering the many other virtues it has. I don't think it's ever been out of the catalogue.

I also have BPO/Karajan/Gerd Seiffert, Barry Tuckwell/English Chamber Orchestra and Alessio Allegrini/Orchestra Mozart/Abbado.

For a modern digitally recorded version the Tuckwell wins easily. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Horn-...horn+concertos and only 1p for a used copy!

[visualnickmos]

Well let's hope that Hornspieler and Waldhorn share their favourites with us, before the rest of us make fools of ourselves.

I was hoping for these two brilliant names to come up! Some of the great things about this forum are reading priceless anecdotes, coupled with expert opinion, measured debate and not forgetting, gentle and amusing banter - love it!

[MickyD]

For me, it has to be Anthony Halstead with The Academy of Ancient Music and Christopher Hogwood - wonderful playing and a lovely recorded acoustic.

[Tony Halstead]

Dennis Brain - obviously - as has already been noted.
If you simply must have a stereo /' less dated sound' version you can't go far wrong with ANY of the Tuckwell versions ( confession: I was playing in the orchestra on 2 of them...!).

Also I have a soft spot for Alan Civil / Klemperer / Philharmonia / EMI and later in more modern sound: Civil /Marriner/ ASMF/ Philips which somehow captures his unique tone more truthfully than does the 1960 Klemperer version.

On natural / hand horn a 'must-have' is the pioneering version by Baumann /Harnoncourt / 'Das Alte Werke' dating from the mid-1970s.
IMV this has never been surpassed, in its sheer technical fluency and overall musicality, by any more recent hand-horn recording.

[Barbirollians]

Dennis Brain/Karajan - I have a few others - Tuckwell, Civil , Thompson - none come close to my ears.

[MickyD]

Yes, Waldhorn, I remember getting the Baumann recording when it first came out on LP, but for some reason never acquired it on its CD release.

Neither have I heard the first Halstead recording with The Hanover Band on Nimbus - I wonder how it compares with his second version with the AAM? Maybe I will get hold of it, I like those rustic-sounding HB performances. But for me, the Hogwood version is a sound library recommendation if you want period instruments.

[salymap]

I'm a lucky girl. I have the Dennis Brain, also an off air recording of another messageboarder,mono broadcast of the first concerto from years ago. Which Halstead recording would others recommend?

I agree with the comments on Flanders&Swann. I'm sure Mozart would have laughed and it doesn't diminish no 4 one little bit imv.

[Pabmusic]

Obviously I agree with the Brain and Tuckwell recommendations. I haven't listened to the Baumann for years, so that's a must.

I like Michael Thompson's first recording (with the BBC Scottish and Jerzy Maksymiuk) a lot, though I don't think it's readily available now.

[Barbirollians]

Ther eis of course also the Pyatt/Marriner recording . It was highly praised at the time it came out - I have not heard it .

[Hornspieler]

Originally Posted by amateur51
Well let's hope that Hornspieler and Waldhorn share their favourites with us, before the rest of us make fools of ourselves.

I was hoping for these two brilliant names to come up! Some of the great things about this forum are reading priceless anecdotes, coupled with expert opinion, measured debate and not forgetting, gentle and amusing banter - love it!

Flattery will get you everywhere, VN!

Of the later versions, I would quote for Michael Thompson who still produces that wonderfull "Aubrey Brain" sound quality.

Speaking of which, I also have that treasured recording of Aubrey Brain himself playing No 3 (K447) with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1937.
Played on a French horn in F. Here is the sound that all of his pupils strove to produce. Dennis' early recordings of the Mozart Concertos (with the Hallé), his Britten Serenade (with Peter Pears), the Beethoven Sonata (with Denis Mathews) and the 1st Strauss concerto (with Galliera and the Philharmonia), were also played on that famous Raoux French horn, before he switched, of neccesity, to the wider-bored rotary valved instrument - much to Aubrey's dismay.

There are many fine performances by others - Civil in particular, but I could never take to Tuckwell's tone, although it is musically and technically very good.

I have both Halstead's hand horn versions and would highly recommend them to anyone who might want to hear these concertos as they would have heard them played by Leutgeb - for whom Mozart wrote all of his solo horn works.

Over to Waldhorn ....

HS

(Edit) I should perhaps have mentioned the recording by James Brown with the Virtuosi of England on Classics For Pleasure.

I am told that it was by far the highest selling item of all the Mozart Horn Concerto sets (presumably because of its budget price.)

Nothing spectacular. A workmanlike performance, but it certainly introduced those concertos to a very wide audience.

[Northender]

Dennis Brain/Karajan - I have a few others - Tuckwell, Civil , Thompson - none come close to my ears.

Try headphones!

[Ferretfancy]

It's almost impossible not to enjoy any performance of the Mozart Horn Concertos. That said, The Dennis Brain ios in a special class. I marginally prefer Barry Tuckwell's first recording with the LSO and Peter Maag --now there's a fine conductor who has been rather overlooked!

One unusual version is Lowell Greer playing a natural horn with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra conducted by Nicholas McGegan.. They are an American group, no relation to our own Philharmonia. This was briefly available on the Classical Express label, an offshoot of Harmonia Mundi , it's very well played and recorded and might be worth a search.