This release, which made classical best-seller lists in the summer of 2023, is said to be the first in a series by hornist
Martin Owen
covering the appearances of the French horn during various musical periods. This volume offers works from the 19th and 20th centuries, and it is curious how unfamiliar much of the music is.
Richard Strauss
' two horn concertos, written 60 years apart but both Classical in spirit, are performed often enough, but
Carl Maria von Weber
's
Concertino for horn and orchestra
and especially
Robert Schumann
Concertstueck for four horns and orchestra, Op. 86
, will be discoveries for many listeners. The
Schumann
, an unusually sunny, ebullient work, is a delight; if the presence of four horns obscures
Owen
's virtuosity a bit, well, 1) choosing players who can keep up with one is a talent in itself, and 2) there is recompense in the
Weber
Concertino
, written for the difficult natural horn and dispatched cleanly here. The
BBC Philharmonic
under
John Wilson
provides suitably understated accompaniment. The entire program makes one eager to hear future releases in
's series. ~ James Manheim