Tuesday, 16 January 2018

German Hornsound - #hornlikes


Rating: 4/5

Review:
Well played and enjoyable



Rather to my surprise, I like this disc.  I was dubious about the overall idea and was put off by both the trendy title and the "we're-just-four-crazy-guys" cover, but I heard a little on Radio 3 and was sufficiently intrigued to try it.  I'm glad I did.

German Hornsound is a quartet of orchestral horn players; here they have each chosen pieces they like (hence the disc's title) which features in an arrangement for four horns.  The arrangements are generally very good - many are by the players themselves.  It's a good variety of forms and periods and of the well-known and more obscure.  They play very well indeed, bringing genuine feeling and depth where appropriate – rather in the way that a top-class brass band do.

I have to say that an entire disc of arrangements for horn quartet does get a bit much and I have to listen to a few pieces at a time before wanting a bit of tonal variety, but it is far better and more enjoyable than I expected and I can recommend this disc.

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