Sunday 25 August 2013

Voices from the Past

Voices from the Past, music for French horn, instruments from the Bate Collection played by Anneke Scott
The Bate Collection at the Faculty of Music at Oxford University is the music comprehensive collection of European woodwind, brass and percussion in the UK. Now the collection is given us a chance to hear the instruments with the launch of a series of CD's showcasing some of the gems from the collection. The first volume, played by Anneke Scott, focuses on the French Horn. The CD's repertoire ranges from fanfares for the earliest 'cor de chasse' to early 20th century pieces, including music by Dampierre, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Simrock, Moscheles, Schubert, Saint-Saens, Richard Strauss and Dukas.

The disc features a wonderful variety of horns including an 18th century trompe de chasse by Carlin, Paris, a cor de chasse by Bennett, London of c.1700, an 18th century cor de chasse by Haas, Nurnberg, an 18th century anonymous German hand horn, two 19th century hand horns by Courtois neveu ainie, Paris, a cor solo by Marcel-Auguste Raoux (Paris, 1823), a radius omnitonic horn by Callcott (London, 19th c.), a hand horn with additional two Stölzel valve block by Thomas Key (London, 19th c.), a hand horn by Halari (Paris, 19th c.), a rotary single F valve horn by Sachsische Musikinstrumenten Fabriken, (Klingenthal, early 20th c.), Périnet valved horn by Couesnon (Paris, early 20th c.) and one mute.

Its a great opportunity to hear a great selection of historic instruments in music of their period. And after all, who can resist the sound of a period French hunting horn!

The music includes Marc Antoine Dampierre's Fanfares, an anonymous arrangements of Handel from Forrest Harmony and the Compleat Tutor, Haydn's Divertimento a tre, duos by Mozart, Heinrich Simrock's Theme and Variations, Ignaz Moscheles Introduction et Rondo, Franz Schubert's Aur dem Strom, Saint-Saens Romance, Richard Strauss' Andante and Paul Dukas' Villanelle. Scott is joined on the disc by Joseph Walters (horns), Marcus Barcham-Stevens (violin), Robin Michael (cello), Frances Kelly (harp), Steven Devine (pianos) and James Gilchrist (tenor).

The disc is available on-line from the Bate Collection shop and from Devine Music.

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