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My 11 year old nephew just started playing French horn in his school band and I would like to surprise him with some music recorded on his new favorite instrument the next time he comes to visit.
Can anyone recommend some classical or jazz on vinyl that is French-horn-centric?
Thanks in advance,
Waxxy
Follow Ups:
As mentioned above, the Brahms Horn Trio would be a good one. One recording I really like has Barry Tuckwell, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Itzhak Perlman (London CS 6628). It's paired with Franck's Violin Sonata in A.
Another album you may enjoy is "Music for Horn and Piano" (London CS 6938). Barry Tuckwell and Vladimir Ashkenazy recorded in Kingsway Hall.
Includes:
Beethoven- Sonata in F Major for Horn
Schumann- Adagio and Allegro in A Flat Major for Horn and Piano
Danzi- Sonata in E Flat Major for Horn and Piano
Saint-Saens- Romance for Horn and Piano
If you are interested at all in jazz, seek out recordings by Willie Ruff on French horn. He made several with the pianist Dwike Mitchell, as the "Mitchell-Ruff Duo". On some recordings, Ruff played bass, as well. Dwike Mitchell should be ranked as one of the greatest jazz pianists, as well. For one example, there is a great LP on the "Mainstream" label of the Mitchell-Ruff Duo with Dizzy Gillespie, live at Dartmouth College. Great stuff! Ruff was a classically trained musician of great sensitivity and style; I had the good fortune to grow up in New Haven, CT, which was his home base too, so I heard him play often when I was a teenager. He once owned a jazz club in New Haven, where I first heard Coltrane. Willie Ruff was still alive, a professor at Yale Music School, when last I knew about him. A very fine man.
Edits: 05/01/12
Hi Waxxy - I am a professional horn player. You have some great jazz recommendations here, and a few good classical ones, too. The jazz ones will be very hard to find, though, except for things like Birth of the Cool, but the horns are not very prominent on that.
For classical, the Dennis Brain recording of the Mozart Horn Concertos cannot be beat. Equaled, perhaps, but not beat. For the Strauss Concertos, probably the best is Hermann Baumann's. He is most professional player's other favorite soloist besides Brain. Both of these are better musical choices than Tuckwell, though there are certainly alot of his recordings still out there too. A more current soloist is Radovan Vlatkovic, who was Baumann's best student. Any young horn student should certainly have a recording of the Mozart Concertos and the Strauss Concertos.
Now for some more suggestions - there are some fantastic horn ensemble recordings out there. My favorites are those done by the Vienna Horns. There is a fun combination of arrangements of classical pieces and movie music on all of their albums. Another popular one is the London Horn Sound. There is also a Texas Horn Sound disc as well.
If your young hornist eventually has professional aspirations, he will need to know all of the Beethoven symphonies, all of the Brahms symphonies, and all of the Strauss tone poems like the back of his hand, for a start. Also the Tchaikovsky 5th Symphony, as has already been mentioned. The classic Brahms horn section was the old Cleveland Orchestra section under George Szell. The section playing on those recordings is fantastic. For Strauss, try the Vienna Phil or the older Chicago Symphony recordings under Fritz Reiner.
Feel free to email me if you want some more suggestions.
Schumann's Concert Piece for 4 French Horns and Orchestra Op.86
Symphony 5 2nd mov't opens with an extended horn solo and one of the most haunting melodies ever penned. The famous Concertgebouw acoustic adds incredible glow.
For Borodin, Ansermet on London Treasury, for the Tchaikovsky, Haitink on Philips.
I'm a big fan of jazz french horn player John Clark. His solo album on ECM is only available on vinyl. May be hard to find though supposedly you can order it direct from ECM in Germany. It's a great album worth tracking down.
-CB
What do you know but a copy of the aformentioned ECM Jon Clark LP is available here
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B007GHMJLI/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&condition=all
-CB
Thanks for the rec and the link. Unfortunately the seller does not ship to Canada, but I found one one eBay and ordered it.
Thanks again!
Waxxy
nt
A classic. Thanks for the link. Didn't realize he was so collectible. Thought I was in a smaller fan club. Nice to know he is appreciated.
Another "little french horn humor" link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHWnFJ4_61U
Flanders and Swan
nt
...is anything like a Flugelhorn, try Art Farmer's "The Summer Knows".
It's exquisite.
Dean.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
A flugelhorn is more like a mellowed trumpet, a horn is the brass instrument with the longest tubing other than a tuba/sousaphone. Its tone is controlled by where/how deep you place your hand into the bell. This also aids tuning, as the tuning is accomplished by a three-pronged approach...hand positioning, lip pressure, and slide adjustments, each having a significant influence. It's the most difficult brass instrument to master, and its tone is very distinct. Not to be compared to a trombone or euphonium (baritone), it has an extended range and often carries solo melody roles beautifully. I played all through grade school/high school/college and often sat first chair. I never really explored the instrument in its contemporary context (preferring classic rock), and will be intersted in hearing some of the suggestions. Good question.
Freedom is the right to discipline yourself.
.
had pads
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
Nt
nt
Some random thoughts:
Julius Watkins sextet from the 50s.
Willie Ruff/Ivory Mitchell duo and Ruff's work with Lionel Hampton. Ruff is still active and teaches at Yale.
Some of the Gil Evans recordings, including Birth of the Cool with Gunther Schuller on horn.
Anything by the west coast musician Tom Varner.
The composer Tom Bacon recorded a solo jazz horn LP in the late 80s. It is musically challenging but technically flawless.
Alex Brofsky worked with Miles Davis shortly before Miles died.
Paul McCandless "All the Mornings Bring" has some wonderful ensemble playing including horns and woodwinds. A personal favorite of mine, out of print for 30 years until it was finally released on CD in 2010.
All of these are going to be hard to find on vinyl, but you may be able to find them from other sources to see if they interest your nephew enough to look further. It is not an easy instrument to master, so you may want to be careful that he doesn't get discouraged.
Hope this helps.
. . . in theory, practice and theory are the same; in practice, they are different . . .
A few that pop into mind:
Ravel, Pavane for a Dead Princess (all about high and soft)
Richard Strauss, Till Eulenspiegel
Strauss Horn Concertos
Brahms Horn Trio
Brahms Symphony #2, movement 1 (big solo at end of the movement)
Tchaikovsky Sym. #5, movement 2
Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis (particulary the last movement-for the whole section)
Everest loudspeakers from France (i know, couldn't help it)
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -HST
I thought they were from Lansing Michigan....bwahahahahah. Geddit?
...I'm not sure where you got the idea they're from France....but I do appreciate the attempted humor.
Regards,
Waxxy
I don't think you can go wrong with any work played by either!
.
Also for Jazz French Horn try Tom Varner
Link to allmusic and his best (with samples) Never gonna find him on LP IMO even the CDs are CD-R mostly or $$$$$
Edits: 04/27/12 04/27/12
Symphony #5? Or - especially - Mozarts Four Horn Concertos. Dennis Brain if you can find one
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
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