Rhapsodie: Fantasie: Poème

15/08/2009
Geoff Adams
Otago Daily Times (NZ)

Barry Tuckwell, the Australian famous for his former horn playing, conducts the orchestras that accompany Australian soloist Jacks in this collection of works for horn and orchestra. Major items are Damase’s Concerto (1995) and Rhapsodie (1987), Koechlin’s Poème (1927), and Marshall-Hall’s Phantasy (1905). Briefer items are Dukas’ Villanelle and Saint-Saens’ Morceau de Concert Op.94.

London-born the late George Marshall-Hall became a professor of music in Melbourne and another Australian link: Barry Humphries (Edna Everage fame) commissioned Damase’s Rhapsodie for Tuckwell, here in a world premiere recording,

Excellently played and packaged ¬– with notes about the evolution of this difficult brass instrument in the usual detailed booklet.

Highlight: Villanelle (orchestrated version), showpiece for the horn-player’s arsenal of techniques, ending on a top C."