Canadian horn player
Louis-Philippe Marsolais, who has already distinguished himself on disc as a member of the
Pentaèdre Wind Quintet, makes a remarkable solo album debut with this collection of German Romantic music for horn. This is easily one of the most satisfying CDs of music for horn to appear in years, both because of
Marsolais' extraordinary playing and the fine repertoire he has chosen. Schumann's Adagio and Allegro is the only widely familiar piece on the disc, which includes
Richard Strauss' Andante for French horn and piano from his unfinished sonata, two pieces by Franz Strauss (
Richard's horn-playing father), Variations on a Swiss Folk Song by Franz Lachner, and Tre Pezzi in Forma di Sonata by Karl Pilss. It might be expected that Schumann's masterpiece would dwarf the works by the composers who (except for the younger
Strauss) are mostly forgotten, but besides offering a virtuoso hornist the opportunity to dazzle, the music is substantial and attractive.
Marsolais has everything a hornist needs to excel. His tone is full, rounded, sweet, and bright, and its evenness throughout the horn's huge range puts
Marsolais in a class by himself. His playing is unfailingly sensitive; he clearly understands the Romantic aesthetic of horn playing, and his musical decisions always sound natural and inevitable. Best of all, he plays with abandon; this is wildly expressive music, and it's thrilling to hear him tear through the most outrageously demanding passages without sacrificing an iota of musicality or precision. Pianist David Jalbert offers support that matches
Marsolais' in the sensitivity and vibrancy of his performance, Oehm's sound is mostly very good, with an ideal balance between the horn and piano, but there is a very low-level hum that only occasionally intrudes on the music.