Discovering Music - The Romantic Horn

The sound of the horn took on a special significance to the Romantic composers of the early 19th century with its suggestions of woodland magic and heroism. Charles Hazlewood deconstructs music by Weber, Mendelssohn and Schumann with the BBC Concert Orchestra, in an exploration of an instrument which achieved iconic status and came very much into its own when conveying the spirit of early Romanticism. Also helping Charles in his exploration are the hornists Stephen Bell and Michael Thompson. Charles looks at Weber's Overture to the opera Oberon; Mendelssohn's Nocturne from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Schumann's formidable Konzertstuck for four horns, the latter being a piece that also exploited the Romantic fascination for virtuosity. The programme was recorded before an audience in Watford.