Mozart Horn Concertos

[Bryn]

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.

Another vote here for that Lowell Greer disc. I got it in November 2010 and to my ears it takes its place alongside Halstead (x2) and Baumann (Harnoncourt).

[richardfinegold]

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

[salymap]

I see that Dennis Brain is the Artist of the Week at 9.30 am next week. I'm afraid the Brainteaser is part of the package.

Maybe this is the wrong place for this ??

[gurnemanz]

On the Membran Meisterkonzerte Box they have Brain/Karajan for 1,3,4 but slip in a 1946 variant with Walter Susskind conducting for No2. Also well worth hearing.

[Hornspieler]

On the Membran Meisterkonzerte Box they have Brain/Karajan for 1,3,4 but slip in a 1946 variant with Walter Susskind conducting for No2. Also well worth hearing.

No.2 (K 417) was Dennis's favourite of the four. The 1946 version with Walter Susskind and the Philharmonia would have been played on his Raoux French horn (with pistons - not rotary valves) with an F crook. It would have been recorded in mono at that time.

He also recorded the 4th concerto (K 495) in 1943 with the Hallé orchestra and that performance was conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent for the first movement but the baton was taken over for the second and third movements by the orchestra's leader, Laurence Turner, because Sir Malcolm was taken ill at the last minute.

HS

[verismissimo]

I've been listening to Alan Civil/RPO/Kempe from 1967. Beautiful playing, but it all seems too civilised.

I like it better when there's a bit more evidence of a struggle!

Wonder how our hornists feel about this?

[Tony Halstead]

Yes that recording somehow makes his tone and general approach too - dare I say it - timid and cautious, but the fact is that his approach was definitely not like that at all. 'Fearless' is a word I would use to sum up his playing and this is much more in evidence on his later recording with Marriner and the ASMF.
On the valveless 'natural horn' Hermann Baumann's pioneering 1970s recording with Harnoncourt and the VCM has never been bettered, in my opinion. His vibrato may not be to everyone's taste, though.
Another interesting feature of his version is that, alone among all hand-horn recordings, the pitch that they play at is IMV the correct one for late 18th century instruments, i.e. A=435 ( or as the 'Das Alte Werke' booklet expresses it, A=870!).
All subsequent recorded 'authentic' versions play at the lower pitch of A=430, giving a rather dull, lifeless sound.
I have played many old natural horns and have never ever encountered a single one that plays happily and well at this A430 pitch without having to have its tuning slide hanging out much too far, or needing specially constructed modern extra tubes to extend the tuning slide.

[MickyD]

Yes, the Baumann is indeed very good. But I find Halstead with the AAM irresistibly cheeky and great fun. Ditto Halstead with the Hanover Band in the Weber Horn Concertino for Nimbus - that recording never fails to raise my spirits.

[amateur51]

Yes, the Baumann is indeed very good. But I find Halstead with the AAM irresistibly cheeky and great fun. Ditto Halstead with the Hanover Band in the Weber Horn Concertino for Nimbus - that recording never fails to raise my spirits.

Triffic I agree

[Hornspieler]

Yes, the Baumann is indeed very good. But I find Halstead with the AAM irresistibly cheeky and great fun. Ditto Halstead with the Hanover Band in the Weber Horn Concertino for Nimbus - that recording never fails to raise my spirits.

Heartily agreed! The Weber, in particular, is a magnificent achievement. I would have hesitated to attempt that even on a moderh 5 valve double horn.

HS

Baumann was one of the pioneers of horn technique but for me, as a Brain disciple, that thick tone and huge vibrato sounds more like a Euphonium than a horn.