The Long and Winding Road

Celebrate the launch of this new recording on ATMA Classique, with a journey through the fascinating (and non-linear!) evolution of the horn during the 19th century.  Curated by Wakefield-based horn player Louis-Pierre Bergeron, and featuring pianist Meagan Milatz, oboist Christopher Palameta, violinist Alexander Read, the program brings together three remarkable works, each performed on a different type of historical horn:  Johannes Brahms’s Trio in E-flat major, Op. 40, for violin, horn and piano — a deeply personal work from 1865, that the composer insisted should be performed on the Waldhorn (“forest horn,” or natural horn) he had learned to play as a child, rather than on the already-established valved horn (which he dismissively derided as a “brass viola” !) ;  Charles Gounod’s Six Mélodies for horn and piano — beautiful, lyrical pieces written in 1839 by the young and ambitious opera composer to showcase his friend Raoux’s newly patented Cor à pistons; and finally, Heinrich von Herzogenberg’s Trio in D major, Op. 61, for oboe, horn and piano — from 1896, performed on the well-established Ventilhorn, or German valve horn.  The musicians will perform on a remarkable collection of historical instruments, including a particularly special Graf pianoforte: a replica of the 1838 instrument made by Viennese piano maker Conrad Graf and presented to Clara Schumann as a wedding gift, which she later gave to her close friend Johannes Brahms.  Embark on an exploration of changing instruments, changing sounds, and the fascinating musical journey of the horn through the 19th century — told through three moving and delightful works.  

Music:

Heinrich von Herzogenberg: Trio for Piano, Oboe, and Horn in D, op. 61

Charles Gounod:
Six Mélodies for Horn and Piano

Johannes Brahms: Trio for Piano, Violin, and Horn in E flat, op. 40