Antique Brasses

Much fine original brass music by well-known composers has lain neglected since written. This treasure house of forgotten material, has been unearthed from world famous archives and libraries by Christopher Larkin, director of the London Gabrieli Brass Ensemble. Much of this music was forgotten for a century and a half - very little has been performed in recent times and none of it has been recorded on the instruments for which it was composed. Only now, when there are so many virtuoso performers on period brass, has a project such as this become possible.

Antonio Salieri (1750-1825)
Aufzug for 4 trumpets

Sigismund Neukomm (1778-1858)
Quatuor pour être exécuté à la Grotte tuonante près le Scoglio di Virgilio dans le Golfe de Naples for 3 horns and trombone

Bernhard Crusell (1775-1838)
Horn Concerto in F: First movement, 'Allegro'
arr Frans Preumayr (1840) for solo horn and brass [8'29]
for solo horn, 3 horns, 2 keyed bugles, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 2 ophicleides

Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868)
Three duets for two horns

Carl Braun (1788-1835) and Bernhard Crusell
Adagio and Polonaise for solo keyed bugle, 2 keyed bugles, 4 horns, 2 trumpets,
3 trombones

Franz Lachner (1803-1890)
Septet
for 4 horns, 3 trombones

Sigismund Neukomm
Three pieces
Andante, for trumpet and 3 trombones
Adagio, for trumpet, horn and 3 trombones
Divertimento, for trumpet, 2 horns, 3 trombones and ophicleide

Otto Nicolai (1810-1849)
Sonata No 1 in F for two horns

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
'Adagio cantabile' from Septet, Op 20 (arr Carl Braun)
for 2 keyed bugles, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones

Prince Carl Friedrich von Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (1783-1849)
Music for the Wertheim Harmoniemusik
for trumpet, 3 horns, bass trombone

Bernhard Crusell, attributed
Four pieces for the Band of the Swedish First Lifeguard Regiment
Marche, for keyed bugle, 3 horns, 2 trumpets, bass trombone
Walzer, for keyed bugle, 3 horns, 2 trumpets, bass trombone
Andante, for 2 keyed bugles, 2 horns, jägarhorn, bass trombone
A la chasse, for keyed bugle, 3 horns, 2 trumpets, bass trombone

Stars of the Brass World who bring their remarkable talents to the Antique Brasses project.

Crispian Steele-Perkins led the LGBE from 1974 until 1984. He is now a world-renowned soloist on the Baroque trumpet and the English slide trumpet. He has made countless fine recordings on these instruments including a disc of the Haydn and Hummel concerti on the keyed trumpet. (Hyperion CDA67266)

Ralph Dudgeon is a Professor at Cortland College, State University of New York, and is the world's acknowledged expert on the keyed bugle [cf. his book The Keyed Bugle ISBN 0-8108-2645-3]. He has made many recordings on the keyed bugle with orchestras and ensembles on both sides of the Atlantic.
Steve Hollamby teaches Trumpet and cornet for Kent County Council. He has made a special study of the keyed bugle.

Anthony Halstead has been Principal Horn of both the London Symphony and the English Chamber Orchestras. His recordings on the hand horn of the Mozart, Haydn and Weber concerti have deservedly received worldwide acclaim. Musically multi-talented, he is a fine harpsichordist, has recorded the piano concerti of C.P.E. Bach, and is now much in demand as a conductor.

Andrew Clark has appeared with most of Europe's period instrument orchestras. Professor of hand horn at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has recorded the chamber music for hand horn by Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms for EMI, and Czerny's Schubert Fantasias for Hyperion.

Roger Montgomery is a member of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. He is Professor of horn at Trinity College of Music and a leading exponent of the Baroque horn, the corno da tirarsi, the hand horn and 19th Century valved horns. Roger leads the quartet on the Archiv recording of Schumann's Konzertstück for four horns and orchestra perfomed by the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique.

Susan Dent is Professor of hand horn at the Royal College of Music and Principal Horn of many period instrument orchestras.

Abigail Newman is a noted expert on the sackbutt and classical trombone. She is a member of Ladybones and the English Sackbutt and Cornett Ensemble. She is a member of His Majesty's Sagbutts and Cornetts

Peter Thorley appears regularly with the major European period instrument groups.

Anthony George is Professor of ophicleide at the Royal College of Music and a member of the Wallace Collection.

London Gabrieli Brass Ensemble, Antique Brasses