British horn virtuoso
David Pyatt performs five little-known horn concertos by his countrymen and -women on this effort. The composers are of approximately the same generation, all born around the turn of the twentieth century, and four of the pieces (excluding Ruth Gipps' 1969 concerto) were written between 1942 and 1957, during the height of
Dennis Brain's remarkable career. Three of those concertos were specifically written for
Brain, and he played all four of them at one time or another. The concertos by Gordon Jacob and
Malcolm Arnold, by far the best-known composers represented here, are probably the least memorable. They are well crafted and pleasantly lyrical, but rarely rise to the level of eloquence, or to the blood-stirring bravura for which the horn is such a natural vehicle.
York Bowen's Straussian concerto has a genuinely Romantic impetuosity that makes it highly attractive, and he makes full use of the horn's broad expressive capabilities. Gipps' concerto is colorfully orchestrated and makes enough virtuosic demands on the horn to keep the soloist and audience on their toes. Gilbert Vinter's name is not well known, but his Hunter's Moon for horn and orchestra is probably the most frequently performed piece on the CD. Its unabashed romantic gestures, reckless sense of melodrama, and lush orchestration make it sound like very good period movie music, and it seems like it's fun for the soloist and the orchestra.
Pyatt plays with impeccable technique and sensitive musicality. These particular pieces may not be the most compelling showcases for his gifts, but he plays them with full commitment.