Mozart Horn Concertos recommendations?

[fergus]

I have lived with and loved the Mozart Horn Concertos for a long time with the following albums in my collection:



Brain - Philharmonia Orch./von Karajan [EMI + Columbia]

Halstead - Academy of Ancient Music/Hogwood [Decca]

Tuckwell - London Symphony Orchestra/Maag [Decca]

Tuckwell - Philharmonia Orch./Tuckwell [Regis]

Greer - Philharmonia Baroque Orch./McGegan [H/Mundi]

Ruske - Scottish Chamber Orch./McKerras [Telarc]


What is your favourite version?
Do you have any recommendations other than the above?

[Jose Echenique]

These are my favorites.

For many years the famous Brain/Karajan was the prime recommendation, but I think the natural horn is really essential for these concertos, they are fiendishly difficult in the old horn!.
In fact my very first recording of the Horn Concertos was the mid 70´s Telefunken with the great Hermann Baumann and Harnoncourt, his very first ever Mozart recording. Now of course it´s been bettered.

[fergus]

These are my favorites.

Great Pepe, thank you.

[Seán]

Well I really am lacking here, I'm afraid. I only have two sets of recordings:

Claudio Abbado/Orchestra Mozart & Alessio Allegrini - French Horn. On DG
Roy Goodman/Netherlands Chamber Orchestra & Herman Jeurissen - French Horn. On Brilliant Classics

[fergus]

Well I really am lacking here, I'm afraid. I only have two sets of recordings:

Claudio Abbado/Orchestra Mozart & Alessio Allegrini - French Horn. On DG
Roy Goodman/Netherlands Chamber Orchestra & Herman Jeurissen - French Horn. On Brilliant Classics

Cheers Seán. I have quite a few Goodman recordings and I like him. I may look that one up. Thank you.

[mcq]

One other one to look out for, Fergus, is a CD with the ever-wonderful Freiburger Barockorchester devoted to a selection of the master's wind concertos.  Although only the first and fourth horn concertos are performed, the playing from both soloist and orchestra is of such uniformly high quality, that I can only give it my strongest recommendation.  Also worth looking out for is a recording on modern instruments by David Pyatt with support from Marriner and the ASMF.  Somewhat smoother than the Tafelmusik and the Freiburgers, this is still a very rewarding listen at budget price.  I haven't yet heard the version by Roger Montgomery on the OAE's own label. Hyperion also have a new recording of all four concertos due out in January with Pip Eastop which looks very promising.  These are wonderful works written for the noblest of all instruments and it is a shame that they are somewhat under-represented in the catalogue.  I'm also very fond as well of the Richard Strauss horn concertos.

[fergus]

Thank you for those recommendations.

The Freiburger Barockorchester of course need no introduction and are self recommending really. I have not listed it as being in my collection but that cover looks very familiar and I will have to check again whether or not I own it!?!?

I also agree with you on the Richard Strauss horn concertos and I have a version with Pyatt playing them which I really like so perhaps I will also investigate that one.

I already own the Halstead / Hogwood version.

They are indeed wonderful works and are perhaps somewhat under-rated due to their apparent simplicity, but this is always a mistake with Mozart's music.