Knowra Dennis Brain Dennis Brain Dennis Brain (1921–1957) was an English horn player celebrated for his virtuosity and for expanding the modern horn repertoire through performances and recordings.
Aubrey Brain : Aubrey Brain (1893–1955) was an English horn player and teacher, and Dennis Brain’s father. His teaching and example formed Dennis Brain’s early musical training.
Horn concerto : A concerto is a work that features a solo instrument with an ensemble or orchestra. Brain’s performances and commissions helped make the horn concerto a living genre.
Dennis Brain's recording of the Mozart horn concertos : Dennis Brain’s recordings of Mozart’s horn concertos were made with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Herbert von Karajan. These performances became enduring reference recordings for Mozart’s horn writing.
French horn : The French horn is a brass instrument with a coiled tube, a flared bell, and a wide musical range. Brain’s career centered on the instrument’s orchestral, chamber, and solo roles.
Benjamin Britten : Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) was an English composer, pianist, and conductor. Britten wrote the Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with Brain as its original horn soloist.
Horn Concerto (Arnold) : Malcolm Arnold’s Horn Concerto, Op. 40, is a 1945 concerto for solo horn and orchestra. Its demanding solo part was written for Brain and showcases his agility and range.
Dennis Brain's recording of the Strauss horn concertos : Dennis Brain recorded Richard Strauss’s horn concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Herbert von Karajan. The recordings document his command of the virtuosic works Strauss composed for horn.
Horn mouthpiece : A horn mouthpiece is the cup-shaped part through which a player buzzes the lips to produce sound. Brain’s control of the mouthpiece supported his precise attacks and expressive phrasing.
Malcolm Arnold : Malcolm Arnold (1921–2006) was a British composer and trumpeter. Arnold dedicated his Horn Concerto to Brain, who gave its 1945 premiere.
Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings : Benjamin Britten’s 1943 song cycle sets texts about night for tenor, horn, and string orchestra. Britten’s writing for Brain made the horn a distinctive dramatic voice in song.
Show all 20