Decca released this two-disc collection called The Art of Barry Tuckwell in 2006 to honor the legendary English horn virtuoso's 75th birthday. For those who followed
Tuckwell's career, the collection was a trip down memory lane with his awe-inspiring 1961 recording of
Mozart's Fourth Horn Concerto with
Peter Maag and his breathtaking 1966 recordings of both
Strauss' concertos with
István Kertész. For listeners who didn't already know
Tuckwell's playing, the collection was a chance to become acquainted with one of the great horn virtuosos of the second half of the twentieth century. The mellow nobility of
Tuckwell's tone, the heroic élan of his attacks, the eloquent expressiveness of his technique, and, most characteristically, the supreme ease of his interpretations made his recordings classics in their repertoire. And with the addition of hitherto internationally unreleased recordings of
Beethoven's Horn Sonata and
Strauss' Andante for horn and piano with
Vladimir Ashkenazy, along with the introduction to the final scene of Capriccio, this set also has something for longtime fans as well as neophyte
Tuckwell listeners. Despite the 29-year span of the recordings, Decca's sound is consistently clean and deep. If anything, the stereo recordings from the '60s are warmer and more detailed than the later digital recordings.