A Devil to Play: One Man's Year-Long Quest to Master the Orchestra's Most Difficult Instrument [Hardcover]

Jasper Rees (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 2008

In the days before his fortieth birthday, London-based journalist Jasper Rees traded his pen for a French horn that had been gathering dust in the attic for more than twenty-two years and, on a lark, played it at the annual festival of the British Horn Society. Despite an embarrassingly poor performance, the experience inspired Rees to embark on a daunting, bizarre, and ultimately winning journey: to return to the festival in one year's time and play a Mozart concerto—solo—to a large paying audience.

A Devil to Play is the true story of an unlikely midlife crisis spent conquering eighteen feet of wrapped brass tubing widely regarded as the most difficult instrument in the world to master—an endearing, inspiring tale of perseverance and achievement, relayed masterfully, one side-splittingly off-key note at a time.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rees, a London journalist, decided to face his midlife crisis by picking up the French horn—an instrument he hadn't played since he was a teenager—and whip himself back into shape so he could play a Mozart concerto in front of an audience in just one year. Luckily, he had one of England's best horn players to give him lessons, but it was still an uphill battle—for starters, the concerto was composed in the key of E flat, but the horn was tuned to F, so Rees (like every performer before him) had to transpose the notes down a tone as he played along. Along the way, he recounts the instrument's colorful history, including a playful recreation of the first performance of Handel's Water Music (when the hunting horn first appeared alongside more widely acknowledged serious instruments), and chats with many of the world's leading performers, as well as Holly Hunter and Ewan McGregor who, like Rees, played the instrument in their youth. Rees's self-assigned quest turns into an amiable romp with quiet bits of inspiration. (Dec.)
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About the Author

A journalist with two decades of experience, Jasper Rees has written for The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, the Evening Standard, and The Times. He lives in London.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harper; First Edition edition (December 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061626619
• ISBN-13: 978-0061626616
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #661,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars must-read for horn players!, February 16, 2009

By 

B. Almquist "storylady" (lewiston, me) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Devil to Play: One Man's Year-Long Quest to Master the Orchestra's Most Difficult Instrument (Hardcover)

I have played the horn for 25 years, but reading this book was a whole new education for me. Not only is Jasper's quest amusing in its overkill, but it's a horn lesson for the rest of us too. I strongly recommend it to fellow hornists, and to those who wonder about the strange world we musicians live in.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly Enjoyable, December 27, 2008

By 

K. LeMahieu (Frankfort, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Devil to Play: One Man's Year-Long Quest to Master the Orchestra's Most Difficult Instrument (Hardcover)

A book that any musician who has ever tried to master an instrument will enjoy, but it will be especially enjoyable for horn players (and probably most brass players). One will learn the history of the horn, horn literature, and a look at the horn's most notable masters both living and deceased. Don't get the wrong idea, though, this is not a dry, academic exercise. It is filled with humor and a whole host of interesting characters and experiences. Highly recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Could He Do It?, February 12, 2009

By 

Timothy P. Koerner (Great Lakes, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Devil to Play: One Man's Year-Long Quest to Master the Orchestra's Most Difficult Instrument (Hardcover)

Could he do it?

A British journalist who had played the French horn (not very well) for about seven years while an adolescent decides, 22 years later, to pick up his old dusty Lidl horn, study and practice for a year, and then try to play movements from a Mozart horn concerto in front of the British Horn Society. But could he do it?

This is Jasper Rees' story -- surely an inspirational one for anyone (this reviewer included) who ever attempted to play this difficult instrument. It's a wonderful book, both humorous and serious. At one point I laughed so hard my eyes were tearing and my nose was running! But chapter 7, which discusses Dennis Brain, is rather sad. One of the finest horn players ever, Brain's life ended in 1957 at age 36 as a result of a car crash.

The last chapter is the grand finale -- the recounting of that nerve-racking, gut-wrenching experience in front of all those horn players, including some of the world's finest. As I read the last couple of pages in which Mr. Rees gives a blow-by-blow description of his mistakes, triumphs, and final bow, tears came to my eyes. He had done it. Jasper achieved his difficult goal.

I think the book is a must-read for horn players, past and present, good and not-so-good, but its appeal is broader than this. Probably just about anybody who tried to play a musical instrument in a band and/or orchestra as a youth would find it a pleasure to read. It can certainly bring back memories. Its appeal to lovers of the French horn in general is obvious.

So thanks to Jasper Rees and his publisher for giving us this delightful book. Finally, a personal thank you to a Jasper Rees-like horn player, Craig Kowald, for making the book known to me.

Tim Koerner February 2009