Customer Reviews

Mozart: Horn Concertos Nos. 1-4 / Quintet, K.452 ~ Brain

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Dennis Brain's universaly acclaimed Mozart horn concertos haven't been out of hte catalog for fifty years, but for the longest while the 1953 sonics were boxy and cramped. So it's good news that in this remastering Paul Baily has amde the orchestra and soloist sound sweet, even if the boxiness still remains. Brain's playing is uniquely supple and lyrical; future horn players like Barry Tuckwell brought more fire into their playing.

The Quintet for Piano and Winds K. 452 is also a fine performance. It dates from 1954. the only caveat is ot to mistake this reading, with Colin Horsley as the (very good) pianist, for another EMI recording, also with Dennis Brain on horn but with Walter gieseking as pianist. He was, of course, much more famous than Horsley, but the present recording is livelier in the first movement, where gieseking preferred the more usual slower tempo.

As a horn player in high school, we were often asked to play from the Mozart Horn Concertos for State solo and Ensemble contest. Oh, the beautiful tones, clear crisp sounds heard from Dennis Brain are the best I've ever heard! It is unfortunate that this man's talents were removed from the world far too early; this recording, though done long before current stereophonic sound, is awesome and certainly should be first and foremost in all collections of those who feel they want the best of the best in a french horn player. RIP, my friend!

there are many very fine mozart hornconcertos recordings, but this is the finest available. recording was made in 1953. dennis brain his artristy is impecable, beautiful hornplaying that suits this music extremely well. the philharmonia orchestra conducted by herbert von karajan delivers on the same height. the mozart hornquintet is of the same level. buy this disc!

If you love Mozart's horn concertoes, you will be dazzled by this performance. Dennis Brain is conceded to have recorded the definitive version of these pieces some years ago. Alas, he has died, but this is still the best recording. Dazzling.

This recording is over 50 years, but Dennis Brain's performance is still the benchmark for Mozart's horn concertos. Brain was the complete master of a very difficult instrument. Pure magic!

I had lost my LP of Denis Brain. This is just as I remembered him.