Fantastic Horn Playing
D. Hals | 08/13/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this cd on a whim with a gift card, so I had no idea what to expect. The main draw for me was the Malcolm Arnold horn concerto. I had never heard it but I am a huge fan of Arnold.
I had never even heard of Pyatt by name, even though I have been listening to his playing for years; he has been principle horn of the London Symphony Orchestra since 1998 (think of the soundtracks to Harry Potter, Star Wars, and The Lord Of The Rings, to name a few).
It has been said that this album is part of Dennis Brain's legacy. If you even know who Dennis Brain is, this album is for you. Pyatt is one of the few people who can compete with Brain (although I am not declaring a winner!). The mastery shown in these performances is outstanding and this album is highly recommended."
Disc full of surprises
George Gorham | New York, NY USA | 02/04/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The only piece on here I'd heard before is the Gordon Jacob concerto - and this performance outdistances the other recording by a long shot. Pyatt's technique and musicality are truly impressive. The other pieces were new to me - as were the composers, aside from Arnold. Really, who is Ruth Gipps??? And yet her piece is terrific. I've listened to it a dozen times at least this week. She certainly deserves to be better known and this piece should be out there in the repertoire.
All of this music is of such interest that I've been digging to find more of their work, and isn't that a fantastic change?
I got this as a gift, and what a terrific gift it was. Highly recommended."