From its origins as a huntsman's signalling device to the shiny and sophisticated instrument seen today, the French horn is one of the most distinctive and versatile voices in music, equally at home in a refined chamber music setting, or amongst other members of the brass family in a full orchestra. The horn's hunting origins can be heard in the music of Mozart, both son and father, while its more lyrical qualities were exploited sublimely by Tchaikovsky and Brahms. Extremes of virtuosity are on display in Schumann's Konzertstück, a real showpiece for four horns and orchestra.
Konzertstück, op. 86. I. Lebhaft / Robert Schumann (7:18) -- Symphony no. 31 in D major 'Horn signal', Hob.1:31, I. Allegro / Franz Joseph Haydn (5:03) -- Sinfonia da caccia for 4 horns and strings 'Jagd Symphonie.' I. Vivace / Leopold Mozart (5:28) -- Concerto for 2 horns in E flat major. III. Rondo andante / Joseph Fiala (4:19) -- Horn concerto no. 2 in E flat major, K. 417. III. Rondo: allegro / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (3:52) -- The nutcracker suite, op. 71a. VIII. Waltz of the flowers / Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (6:42) -- Horn concerto no. 1 in D major, Hob, VIId: 3. III. Allegro / Franz Joseph Haydn (3:52) -- Tannhäuser. Overture (excerpt) / Richard Wagner (4:25) -- Horn quintet in E flat major, K. 407. I. Allegro / W.A. Mozart (6:14) -- Trio for violin, horn and piano in E flat major, op. 40. II. Scherzo: allegro, Molto meno allegro, Allegro / Johannes Brahms (6:58) -- Symphony no. 5. II. Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza (excerpt) / Tchaikovsky (5:29) -- Horn sonata in F major, op. 17. III. Rondo: Allegro moderato / Ludwig van Beethoven (4:49) -- Concerto for 2 wind groups and strings in F major, HWV 334. V. Allegro / George Frideric Handel (2:17) -- L'Arlésienne suite no. 1. IV. Carillon / Georges Bizet (4:20).
Note
Contains previously released material, 1988-2017.
Title
Heroic horn : best loved classical horn music.
Publisher
[Place of publication not identified] : Naxos, [2020]
Mark Robbins, David C. Knapp, Kolner Kammerorchester, Zdenek Divoky, Gerard Schwarz, Madoka Inui, Dariusz Wisniewski, Agnieszka Duczmal, Jacek Muzyk, Bedrich Tylsar, Wolfgang Tomboeck, Dmitri Babanov, Jindrich Petras.