From Dennis Brain's Library: A Programme of English, French & German Music Stephen Stirling, Tony Halstead, Kathron Sturrock, Christian Halstead

• Alexander Ecklebe: Horn Sonata:
• 1Ecklebe: Horn Sonata: I. Allegro vivace04:49
• 2Ecklebe: Horn Sonata: II. Moderato, poco rubato04:39
• 3Ecklebe: Horn Sonata: III. Allegro03:42
• Alan Bush (1900 - 1995): Autumn Poem, Op. 45:
• 4Bush: Autumn Poem, Op. 4504:20
• Trent's Broad Reacher, Op. 36:
• 5Bush: Trent's Broad Reacher, Op. 3604:59
• Arnold Cooke (1906 - 2005): Rondo for Horn & Piano in B-Flat Major:
• 6Cooke: Rondo for Horn & Piano in B-Flat Major03:08
• Arioso & Scherzo, D63 (Version for Horn, Violin & Piano):
• 7Cooke: Arioso & Scherzo, D63 (Version for Horn, Violin & Piano): I. Arioso. Andante04:51
• 8Cooke: Arioso & Scherzo, D63 (Version for Horn, Violin & Piano): II. Scherzo. Allegro vivace03:59
• Peter Racine Fricker (1920 - 1990): Horn Sonata, Op. 24:
• 9Fricker: Horn Sonata, Op. 24: I. Con moto06:24
• 10Fricker: Horn Sonata, Op. 24: II. Scherzo. Presto03:10
• 11Fricker: Horn Sonata, Op. 24: III. Invocation. Molto moderato05:58
• Henri Büsser (1872 - 1973): Cantecor for Horn & Piano, Op. 77:
• 12Büsser: Cantecor for Horn & Piano, Op. 7705:47
• Paul Vidal (1863 - 1931): Pièce de concert for Horn & Piano:
• 13Vidal: Pièce de concert for Horn & Piano05:45
• Charles Tournemire (1870 - 1939): Fantaisie for Horn & Piano:
• 14Tournemire: Fantaisie for Horn & Piano04:33
• Raoul Pugno (1852 - 1914): Solo pour cor:
• 15Pugno: Solo pour cor06:17
• Joseph Salmon: Allegro spiritoso (After Senaillé's Op. 4 No. 4) [Arr. for Horn & Piano]:
• 16Salmon: Allegro spiritoso (After Senaillé's Op. 4 No. 4) [Arr. for Horn & Piano]02:29
• Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921): Le carnaval des animaux, R. 125:
• 17Saint-Saëns: Le carnaval des animaux, R. 125: XIII. Le cygne (Arr. for Horn & Piano)02:39
• Total Runtime01:17:29

Info for From Dennis Brain's Library: A Programme of English, French & German Music

This captivating album was originally conceived by horn players Stephen Stirling and Tony Halstead (the latter a superb pianist), who had located Dennis Brain’s personal collection of music (now owned and curated by lawyer and horn player Mark Andrews.) During his all too short life, Dennis Brain accumulated a unique and fascinating collection of horn concertos, music for horn and piano, chamber music and scores. Many of these had been sent to him by the composers, whilst other music was acquired himself. The music in this recording contains English, French and German repertoire for horn and piano (plus a violinist in one item) that is largely and unjustifiably unknown, and in most cases previously unrecorded, giving a delightful and superbly performed 78 minutes’ worth of listening.

Stephen Stirling, horn
Tony Halstead, piano
Kathron Sturrock, piano
Christian Halstead, violin

Stephen Stirling
For many years now, Stephen Stirling has been one of England’s busiest and most sought-after horn players. Since studying at the Royal Northern College of Music with Ifor James and later with Julian Baker, he has worked mostly in the rather rarefied world of chamber music. He has had an enormously varied career travelling all over the world, particularly enjoying playing in unusual and far flung places.

Increasingly in demand as a soloist, he has broadcast concertos on BBCTV and Radio 3, and appeared with orchestras such as theAcademy of St Martin in the Fields, the City of London Sinfonia and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under the batons of Richard Hickox, Sir Neville Marriner, Heinz Holliger and Ivan Fischer. His recording of all Mozart’s Horn Concertos, including the recently reconstructed “No 5 in Eb”, has just been released by BMG on the Classic FM “Full works” label. He is accompanied by the City of London Sinfonia with whom he has also recorded the virtuosic Double Horn Concertos by Vivaldi.

Stephen has a world-wide reputation as a chamber musician being in constant demand at festivals in the UK and abroad. He is a member of Endymion Ensemble, The Fibonacci Sequence and Capricorn. He has taken part in many critically acclaimed recordings, including Mozart’s entire output for wind ensemble with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and his second recording of the Brahms Horn Trio, with the Florestan Trio, released recently by Hyperion, to rave reviews and a ‘Gramophone’ award nomination.

Teaching and coaching are amongst Steve’s greatest loves and he gives frequent masterclasses on courses such as the Dartington International Summer School, Canford Summer School and Aberystwyth Musicfest. He is a professor of horn at Trinity College of Music in London and a regular contributor of articles about music making to The Horn Magazine.

“Stirling is a player of manifest authority” - Musical Opinion

“remarkable expressiveness” - The Guardian

“an outstandingly agile horn soloist” - The Times

Tony Halstead
was born in Manchester, attending Chetham’s School and subsequently the Royal Manchester College of Music (now the Royal Northern College of Music). His horn teacher at the RMCM was Sydney Coulston, a distinguished contemporary of Dennis Brain, who played Principal horn in the Hallé and the BBC Northern Orchestras. Tony also studied composition with Thomas Pitfield, organ with Ronald Frost and piano with Iso Elinson, Donald Greed and Donald Clarke.

After leaving college, Tony took several ‘refresher’ lessons with Julian Baker, Horace Fitzpatrick, and Myron Bloom. Subsequently, he studied the harpsichord with George Malcolm and conducting with Michael Rose, Sir Charles Mackerras and Gene Forrell.

He was briefly 4th horn with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra 55 years ago. Then Co-Principal, London Symphony Orchestra; Principal, LSO; Principal, English Chamber Orchestra; The Academy of Ancient Music; The English Concert; The Hanover Band; English Baroque Soloists; London Classical Players and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. He has played guest Principal horn with the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, London Sinfonietta, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and Moscow Virtuosi.

Tony made his first solo CD in 1986, recording Weber’s Concertino on the valveless hand horn, with The Hanover Band, for the Nimbus Record Company. Other solo CDs include the Concertos by Joseph and Michael Haydn, and two separate recordings, six years apart, of the Mozart Concertos, with The Hanover Band under Roy Goodman and The Academy of Ancient Music under Christopher Hogwood. On the modern horn, he has recorded for 'Nimbus' the Britten Serenade with the American tenor, Jerry Hadley, and the English String Orchestra under William Boughton.

Tony now pursues a varied career as a conductor and director/harpsichordist, as well as being an occasional horn soloist, chamber music player and a teacher of international repute. In addition to making regular visits as a guest professor and examiner at many of the UK’s conservatories, he enjoys private teaching and chamber-music coaching.

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