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Barry Tuckwell, until his retirement, was one of the world's leading horn virtuosos and thus eminently suited to writing this Yehudi Menuhin Music Guide. This versatile musician combines a soloist's experience, an orchestral player's inside knowledge and a conductor's broad view of the horn and its music.
244 pages, Paperback
Published December 31, 2003
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About the author
Barry Tuckwell
11 books5 followersBarry Tuckwell is a professional horn player, soloist, teacher, and conductor.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 21, 2024
If Little Boy Blue had been a Brain.......
Barry Tuckwell, from Melbourne, Australia, spent most of his life in the UK playing French horn in orchestras and as a soloist. In his later years, he has become an American citizen and is teaching in various places in the USA. No doubt he is the world's premier performer on this always-difficult instrument. As such, his book will be of interest to people concerned with the French horn, its development, history, and techniques. I doubt that there is any other book which covers the same ground with such a distinguished musician as the author. From discussion of shofars and hunting horns to detailed descriptions of valve technology, from biographies of famous horn players (such as the Brains of England) to instructions to students and teachers, it's all there. The text is sprinkled with numerous interesting photographs and diagrams. The chapter on composers and their use of French horn in various compositions is one of the most comprehensive. To say that Tuckwell "knows his stuff" is pretty much of an insult, coming from me. He's the world expert ! But unless you are a horn player or perhaps, the parent, wife, or husband of one, this book is going to prove rather too detailed or arcane. Can you sight-read music ? If not, a lot of pages are lost to you. I read HORN because it's a book of a totally different kind than I usually read. I got a lot of interesting information, but I was unfit to grasp much of what was offered. I fear that will be the case for most people. So, while this may be the five star book on the world of the French horn, it will remain a three star book for the average reader. It is necessarily aimed at horn players and other musicians. And by the way, neither Little Boy Blue nor Captain Horatio rate a mention.
Barry Tuckwell, from Melbourne, Australia, spent most of his life in the UK playing French horn in orchestras and as a soloist. In his later years, he has become an American citizen and is teaching in various places in the USA. No doubt he is the world's premier performer on this always-difficult instrument. As such, his book will be of interest to people concerned with the French horn, its development, history, and techniques. I doubt that there is any other book which covers the same ground with such a distinguished musician as the author. From discussion of shofars and hunting horns to detailed descriptions of valve technology, from biographies of famous horn players (such as the Brains of England) to instructions to students and teachers, it's all there. The text is sprinkled with numerous interesting photographs and diagrams. The chapter on composers and their use of French horn in various compositions is one of the most comprehensive. To say that Tuckwell "knows his stuff" is pretty much of an insult, coming from me. He's the world expert ! But unless you are a horn player or perhaps, the parent, wife, or husband of one, this book is going to prove rather too detailed or arcane. Can you sight-read music ? If not, a lot of pages are lost to you. I read HORN because it's a book of a totally different kind than I usually read. I got a lot of interesting information, but I was unfit to grasp much of what was offered. I fear that will be the case for most people. So, while this may be the five star book on the world of the French horn, it will remain a three star book for the average reader. It is necessarily aimed at horn players and other musicians. And by the way, neither Little Boy Blue nor Captain Horatio rate a mention.
Displaying 1 of 1 review