Such a delight was Mr. Brain and his peerless French Horn recordings.... I mean, Did that guy ever "flub" a note? Due to the harmonics and physics of the French Horn, so to speak, it is so, so SO easy to "flub" a note. I think the term "flub" came out simultaneously with the production of the various French Horns, and well, horns in gen'l....
As a retired horn player I can tell you the difficult thing are the high notes . On the harmonic series of the horn ,the higher you the closer the notes are to each other on that harmonic series . If you'e off by just a tiny bit of lip pressure you hit an adjacent note , and this is why it's so easy o "fluff" notes . Dennis Brain was legendary for his amazing accuracy .
Just discovered a film clip, from the BBC archive I think, of Denis Brain introducing and explaining about the origins of the French horn. He then goes on to play a piece for horn and piano by Beethoven. He comes across as such a lovely person with a delightful sense of humour and a self effacing, utterly sincere manner, which belies his musicianship. His unique personality and genius is evident in his playing and we shall never see his like again. My first ever LP for my 13th birthday in 1963 was of Denis playing the Mozart concertos.,which I still have!
I got that album in 5th grade and wore the LP out! That was 55 years ago and I'm still in utter awe of his talent. I listen to these recordings every couple months and they still bring back memories of my earliest years of horn playing.
I played this piece in solo competition in 1963. I listened to a record of Dennis Brain to get the nuance and flow of the piece. This sounds like the same record. Scored a 1 and it was one of my best memories from playing the french horn for 13 years. Incredible piece and Dennis Brain is an incredible artist.
Reminds me of my favorite Mozart story. Seems that one Sunday morning Leopold went to Mass leaving seven year old Wolfgang at home. As the story goes, when he returned home, Wolfgang presented him with a concerto that he had written while Leopold was at Church. Leopold found it so beautiful that he wept but then pronounced it "unplayable." According to the story Wolfgang responded "Papa you have to practice. That is why it is called a concerto." While history records that many works were composed with a particular performer in mind, Mozart was a performer himself. The music came first.
Mozart must have written this for a very skilled player. The second movement is a wonderful exposition of the versatility of of the instrument; we tend to look more at the virtuoso performances in final movements. Brilliant, yes, thrilling, yes, but this is divinely inspired.
Like many of Mozart's horn pieces this was written for his friend Joseph Leutgeb. The two were close friends and Mozart liked to poke fun at Leutgeb in the scores of some of his pieces. Leutgeb was arguably the best hornist of the classical period and during the 1760s was arguably the most prominent solo musician in Vienna. In addition to Mozart he also had a concerto composed for him by Haydn. An additional connection to Haydn is that, though for a very brief period, Leutgeb was employed by the Eserhazy family, the same family that employed Haydn, and was probably hired by Haydn himself, who directed the orchestra at the time. all that goes to say, that Mozart did write this for a very skilled player, probably the best player at the time. The pieces Mozart wrote for Leutgeb were more challenging than anything else he would've been playing at the time and Leutgeb's playing ability combined with Mozart's writing gave us some of the most beautiful and virtuosic horn pieces in history.
Hear his wonderful cadenza at 5:58 in the first movement. (From Artopium: "In a concerto, a cadenza is a brilliant, unaccompanied solo section, once improvised by the player, now more often already composed. It enlarges on the themes set forth in the work and exhibits the player's technique.")
@@anacarolinareggiani4822 ----Ana, Thanks for asking. I just found it after an internet search!! See page 19 in this link: gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/53834/1/gupea_2077_53834_1.pdf Reference: Dennis Brain, Bärenreiter-Verlag, Cadenza Bärenreiter-Verlag, (Kassel, 2003). ----- (While in high school, I found a record of Dennis playing Mozart's 4 horn concertos. I learned a lot from this recording (many years before the invention of UA-cam).----I love UA-cam!) ----- Also, listen to Radek Baborak's cadenza in the 3rd Concerto. Wonderful!
Piers Galveston - that's interesting in and of itself. Thank you for the softness of your subscription of the only person of his and no foreseeable era who can deliver such grace, particularly to Mozart, through the French Horn.
Away from music, what a pair - Brain and von Karajan. Quick car fanatics both, and tragically it was this love that cost Dennis his life. Both here lived life literally in the fast lane. Magnificent musicians too, of course.
@@TheCma6 ...e allora? Gli Americani hanno sterminato i Pellerossa, i Neri (oltre che averli fatti schiavi), hanno gettato due bombe atomiche.....devo continuare?
@@waltercolalongo1370 My suggestion: listen carefully and try to understand wat Brain is doing. Hopefully at the end you will be able to recognise this outstanding musicianship. Maybe you will be able to fully appreciate his gift to all of us.
I thought I was a good f horn player I sat first chair every year .then I tried out for the southeast Texas symphony and when I heard the other players I did not even get my horn out of the case. I went home
- Keep practicing. I learned a lot by listening to Dennis Brain's recordings. Incredible horn player. His father and paternal grandfather also played the horn.
Maybe because this is the version I grew up listening to, I have to disagree. I think the von K.orchestral part of the concertos stands up to any of the later versions. What conductor do you think does a better job?
;Love Karajan. Here he shows the Orchester plays precise in the frequencies of there in struments to not interfere with the horns tone., Which helps the instrument to stand out without deminishing the orchester to background accompanied.
Never before has there been a performance so light, graceful and joyful.
think it's a very fun piece to play..
Such a delight was Mr. Brain and his peerless French Horn recordings.... I mean, Did that guy ever "flub" a note? Due to the harmonics and physics of the French Horn, so to speak, it is so, so SO easy to "flub" a note. I think the term "flub" came out simultaneously with the production of the various French Horns, and well, horns in gen'l....
As a retired horn player I can tell you the difficult thing are the high notes . On the harmonic series of the horn ,the higher you the closer the notes are to each other on that harmonic series . If you'e off by just a tiny bit of lip pressure you hit an adjacent note , and this is why it's so easy o "fluff" notes . Dennis Brain was legendary for his amazing accuracy .
Mozart's music is magical. And Dennis Brain's playing, of course does full justice to his horn concertos.
Just discovered a film clip, from the BBC archive I think, of Denis Brain introducing and explaining about the origins of the French horn.
He then goes on to play a piece for horn and piano by Beethoven. He comes across as such a lovely person with a delightful sense of humour and a self effacing, utterly sincere manner, which belies his musicianship. His unique personality and genius is evident in his playing and we shall never see his like again. My first ever LP for my 13th birthday in 1963 was of Denis playing the Mozart concertos.,which I still have!
I am a horn player. Reynolds mpiece. I could not compete with this
I got that album in 5th grade and wore the LP out! That was 55 years ago and I'm still in utter awe of his talent. I listen to these recordings every couple months and they still bring back memories of my earliest years of horn playing.
❤
I played this piece in solo competition in 1963. I listened to a record of Dennis Brain to get the nuance and flow of the piece. This sounds like the same record. Scored a 1 and it was one of my best memories from playing the french horn for 13 years. Incredible piece and Dennis Brain is an incredible artist.
When I learnt Tenor horn for school brass band he was my idol back in the 60s. Somewhere I have this recording on real to real tape. ❤
The one and only.
No 3 First Movement. This was the first thing I studied and performed my freshmen year in college. Oh memories!
Small flex but I had to do this piece in my 2nd year of highschool
I'm in my freshman year performing this piece!
@@filipbabic4913 I did this in year 7
What a masterful hornist was Mr. Brain! Ex-qui-site!
Best ever. Silk grandeur. Thanks dad.
Reminds me of my favorite Mozart story. Seems that one Sunday morning Leopold went to Mass leaving seven year old Wolfgang at home. As the story goes, when he returned home, Wolfgang presented him with a concerto that he had written while Leopold was at Church. Leopold found it so beautiful that he wept but then pronounced it "unplayable." According to the story Wolfgang responded "Papa you have to practice. That is why it is called a concerto."
While history records that many works were composed with a particular performer in mind, Mozart was a performer himself. The music came first.
first movement: 0:00
second movement: 7:02
third movement: 11:57
thanks this is really helpful ❤
Mozart must have written this for a very skilled player. The second movement is a wonderful exposition of the versatility of of the instrument; we tend to look more at the virtuoso performances in final movements. Brilliant, yes, thrilling, yes, but this is divinely inspired.
Like many of Mozart's horn pieces this was written for his friend Joseph Leutgeb. The two were close friends and Mozart liked to poke fun at Leutgeb in the scores of some of his pieces. Leutgeb was arguably the best hornist of the classical period and during the 1760s was arguably the most prominent solo musician in Vienna. In addition to Mozart he also had a concerto composed for him by Haydn. An additional connection to Haydn is that, though for a very brief period, Leutgeb was employed by the Eserhazy family, the same family that employed Haydn, and was probably hired by Haydn himself, who directed the orchestra at the time.
all that goes to say, that Mozart did write this for a very skilled player, probably the best player at the time. The pieces Mozart wrote for Leutgeb were more challenging than anything else he would've been playing at the time and Leutgeb's playing ability combined with Mozart's writing gave us some of the most beautiful and virtuosic horn pieces in history.
Not to be mean, but who would Mozart have wrote this for? Definitely not an amateur
Punto was definitely more skilled and recognized than Leutgeb@@rrstne
Hear his wonderful cadenza at 5:58 in the first movement. (From Artopium: "In a concerto, a cadenza is a brilliant, unaccompanied solo section, once improvised by the player, now more often already composed. It enlarges on the themes set forth in the work and exhibits the player's technique.")
does you have this cadenza to send me?
If someone has, please send to anareggianivieira@gmail.com
@@anacarolinareggiani4822 ----Ana, Thanks for asking. I just found it after an internet search!! See page 19 in this link:
gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/53834/1/gupea_2077_53834_1.pdf
Reference:
Dennis Brain, Bärenreiter-Verlag, Cadenza Bärenreiter-Verlag, (Kassel, 2003).
----- (While in high school, I found a record of Dennis playing Mozart's 4 horn concertos. I learned a lot from this recording (many years before the invention of UA-cam).----I love UA-cam!)
----- Also, listen to Radek Baborak's cadenza in the 3rd Concerto. Wonderful!
That's such a weird description.
Your comment started okay though. It's a pretty good cadenza. Could've been a bit longer though.
I’m playing the third movement for solo and ensemble this year. Hoping to make it to state. I’m a middle schooler on a 1963 German double horn.
The one at 12:00 ? I know it’s been 2 years and you might not even use this account, but I hope it went well. I am doing the same.
how did you do ? much time has passed and i hope you r pursuing your dreams
. . . thank you Ria for uploading this fine performance...
Piers Galveston - that's interesting in and of itself.
Thank you for the softness of your subscription of the only person of his and no foreseeable era who can deliver such grace, particularly to Mozart, through the French Horn.
people who disliked this are just jealous that they can't play that well
Yes👍
Away from music, what a pair - Brain and von Karajan. Quick car fanatics both, and tragically it was this love that cost Dennis his life. Both here lived life literally in the fast lane. Magnificent musicians too, of course.
Karajan is also the only major conductor who held, not one, but two Nazi party membership cards.
@@TheCma6 Was about to say, Brain was a fine man all around, but let's keep our praise of Karajan strict to his music...
@@TheCma6 ...e allora? Gli Americani hanno sterminato i Pellerossa, i Neri (oltre che averli fatti schiavi), hanno gettato due bombe atomiche.....devo continuare?
I played this at solo and ensemble competition as a freshman in high school cool
OOFMaster Conroy the Great Conqueror That's literally what I'm doing right now
WHO disliked this?! I dare you to show yourself.
Vaughan Cooke8
Well you're a Philistine, there is no better horn player!
@@waltercolalongo1370 My suggestion: listen carefully and try to understand wat Brain is doing. Hopefully at the end you will be able to recognise this outstanding musicianship. Maybe you will be able to fully appreciate his gift to all of us.
cadenza 5:58
15:16 how
Indeed!
I thought I was a good f horn player I sat first chair every year .then I tried out for the southeast Texas symphony and when I heard the other players I did not even get my horn out of the case. I went home
- Keep practicing. I learned a lot by listening to Dennis Brain's recordings. Incredible horn player. His father and paternal grandfather also played the horn.
15:13
Who's here because their instructor told them to work on "God's music"
The video Richard Grafton refers to is v=mlKJ9CjSv_U .
7:03 Larghetto
12:01 Allegro
2:24
Stunning! Only Cerminaro's 3rd w/SSO seems better, big horn tone, musical, & monster technique.
benchmark
6:00
Karajan is great at many things, but not necessarily Mozart’s concertos.
But Brain was the greatest at everything.
Maybe because this is the version I grew up listening to, I have to disagree. I think the von K.orchestral part of the concertos stands up to any of the later versions. What conductor do you think does a better job?
klemperer.@@jimwaddell8422
;Love Karajan. Here he shows the Orchester plays precise in the frequencies of there in struments to not interfere with the horns tone., Which helps the instrument to stand out without deminishing the orchester to background accompanied.
1:00
6:20