Search - Franz Danzi, Franz Joseph Haydn, Michael Haydn :: Virtuoso Horn

Once again, I'm impressed!

W. T. Prim | Cumming, GA United States | 07/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hermann Baumann never ceases to amaze me, and this album is no exception. Flawless execution coupled with the highest sense of musicality make for quite an impressive display, especially with horn literature of this difficulty. Baumann rises like a colossus with this album- and if it hasn't already been said, the cadenzas are worth the price of the cd by themselves! For as long as I have been listening to horn music, I have never heard the beauty, clarity, and sweetness of tone in the clarino register as I heard with this album. The Haydn Concertino in D with Dale Clevenger was nicely executed, however my preference for this piece is in the Tuckwell recording for tempo and stylistic reasons. Cliche though it may be, this is a must have."

Beautiful Passages From Hermann Baumann

Robert I. Hedges | 09/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a beautiful CD largely featuring Hermann Baumann performing pieces by Hayden, Danzi, Rosetti, and Mozart. I admire the musicianship here, mostly from Baumann, but also noteworthy is the performance by Dale Clevenger on Haydn's Concertino for Horn and Orchestra in D major, the final track on the CD, and the only one digitally recorded. Although I think Baumann is probably the technically more proficient musician, Clevenger certainly acquits himself well, and the total lack of background noise on that track makes it an absolute pleasure to listen to. Another listener complained of excessive background noise and static, but fortunately I did not seem to have that problem on either of the systems I played it on.



I am particularly fond of the Mozart pieces presented here, although I prefer the recordings by Dennis Brain for technique. These are my favorite recordings of the Hayden and Rosetti pieces to date. This CD is an excellent value, and any serious listener will be sure to thrill to it.

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State of the art horn playing

alessandro dosio | 07/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the first recordings made by H.Baumann and it is simply stunning. This version of the Haydn concerto is maybe better than his later for Philips, but the core of the cd are the Danzi and Rosetti concerti, works unfortunately not well known (unless you are a horn's fan) and executed as Mozart or Strauus. H.Baumann is one of the horn player I like the most; his technique is always very clear and flawless, his sound is typically german, quite light with a little vibrato, and his musicality is simply wonderful; a real master, an example to imitate for what concerns fine phrasing, musical elegance and style. The cadenzas are furthermore an example of virtuosity; listen to the stratospheric-high trill at the end of the cadenza in the Danzi concerto! I actually have the (almost) complete discography by H.Baumann and he never disappointed me, from Strauus to Gliere, Dukas, Mozart (especially the quintet for horn and strings)... A really great master."