Horn and Conductor: Reminiscences of a Practitioner

The former first horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra writes about playing under Klemperer, Koussevitzky, Munch etc, the french horn, and specific horn passages. In this volume, Harold Meek, former first horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, shares anecdotes and insights about the joys and travails of playing under Klemperer, Koussevitzky, Munch, and others. He also brings together some important information about changes in the instrument itself, including a little-known letter from the great British horn virtuoso, Dennis Brain, about the virtues of different makes of horn. A valuable appendix prints interpretively challenging horn passages from three dozen masterpieces, and evaluates the solutions offered in recordings by various prominent conductors.