Mozart: Horn Concertos Nos. 1-4, etc.

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Dennis Brain was the finest Mozartian soloist of his generation. Again and again Karajan matches the graceful line of his solo phrasing (the Romance of No 3 is just one ravishing example), while... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Catalogue No: 5668982
Label: Warner Classics
Series: Great Recordings of the Century
Length: 77 minutes

Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 1 in D major, K412 (K386b)

Work length8:27

$2.60

$3.40

Dennis Brain (french horn)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan
Recorded: 1953-11-13
Recording Venue: 12/13 November 1953, Kingsway Hall, London London

I. Allegro

Track length4:43

$1.30

$1.70

II. Rondo (Allegro) (K.514 version, arr. Süßmayr)

Track length3:44

$1.30

$1.70

Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 2 in E Flat Major, K.417 (1997 - Remaster)

Work length13:53

$3.90

$5.10

Dennis Brain (french horn)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan
Recorded: 1953-11-13
Recording Venue: 12/13 November 1953, Kingsway Hall, London London

I. Allegro maestoso

Track length6:37

$1.30

$1.70

II. Andante

Track length3:34

$1.30

$1.70

III. Rondo

Track length3:42

$1.30

$1.70

Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 3 in E Flat Major, K.447 (1997 - Remaster): I. Allegro

Work length7:03

$1.30

$1.70

Dennis Brain (french horn)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan
Recorded: 1953-11-13
Recording Venue: 12/13 November 1953, Kingsway Hall, London London

Mozart: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra No. 3 in E flat major, KV447 (1997 Digital Remaster): Second movement: Romance (Larghetto)

Work length4:57

$1.30

$1.70

Dennis Brain (french horn)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan
Recorded: 1953-11-13
Recording Venue: 12/13 November 1953, Kingsway Hall, London London

Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 3 in E Flat Major, K.447 (1997 - Remaster): III. Allegro

Work length3:49

$1.30

$1.70

Dennis Brain (french horn)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan
Recorded: 1953-11-13
Recording Venue: 12/13 November 1953, Kingsway Hall, London London

Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 4 in E flat major, K495

Work length16:12

$3.90

$5.10

Dennis Brain (french horn)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan
Recorded: 1953-11-13
Recording Venue: 12/13 November 1953, Kingsway Hall, London London

I. Allegro moderato

Track length8:04

$1.30

$1.70

II. Romanza (Andante)

Track length4:28

$1.30

$1.70

III. Rondo (Allegro vivace)

Track length3:40

$1.30

$1.70

Mozart: Quintet for Piano and Winds in E flat, K452

Work length23:00

Album only

Cecil James (bassoon), Colin Horsley (piano), Dennis Brain (horn), Leonard Brain (oboe), Stephen Waters (clarinet)
Recorded: 1954-05-23
Recording Venue: 19/23 May 1954, Studio No. 1, Abbey Road

I. Largo - Allegro moderato

Track length10:08

Album only

II. Larghetto

Track length7:06

$1.30

$1.70

III. Rondo (Allegro)

Track length5:46

$1.30

$1.70

Reviews
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Reviews

2010

Dennis Brain was the finest Mozartian soloist of his generation. Again and again Karajan matches the graceful line of his solo phrasing (the Romance of No 3 is just one ravishing example), while in the Allegros the crisply articulated, often witty comments from the Philharmonia violins are a joy. The glorious tone and the richly lyrical phrasing of every note from Brain himself is life-enhancing in its radiant warmth. The Rondos aren't just spirited, buoyant, infectious and smiling, although they're all these things, but they have the kind of natural flow that Beecham gave to Mozart.
There's also much dynamic subtlety – Brain doesn't just repeat the main theme the same as the first time, but alters its level and colour. His legacy to future generations of horn players has been to show them that the horn – a notoriously difficult instrument – can be tamed absolutely and that it can yield a lyrical line and a range of Orchestral Mozart 766 colour to match any other solo instrument. He was tragically killed, in his prime, in a car accident while travelling home overnight from the Edinburgh Festival. He left us this supreme Mozartian testament which may be approached by others but rarely, if ever, equalled, for his was uniquely inspirational music-making, with an innocent-like quality to make it the more endearing. It's a pity to be unable to be equally enthusiastic about the recorded sound. The remastering leaves the horn timbre, with full Kingsway Hall resonance, unimpaired, but has dried out the strings. This, though, remains a classic recording.

Mozart: Horn Concertos Nos. 1-4, etc.

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