Dennis Brain: A Life in Music (North Texas Lives of Musician Series)
“A pleasure to read: serious but personable, unaffected, unpretentious—conversational in tone. The character of the prose can be said to reflect the character of the book’s subject. Eminently satisfying.”--Robert Marshall, author ofDennis Brain on Record“Since a great deal of new material has been found by the authors, it is exciting for horn players to anticipate the publication of this book.”--William Scharnberg, Regents Professor of Horn, University of North Texas"Brain had a huge impact on horn playing and the perception of the horn as a solo instrument in the mid-20th century, and his tragic death at age 36 moved him immediately to icon status. . . . This book should be required reading for all hornists to understand the importance of Brain to our craft. Our heroes deserve at least this much, and this excellent book shows better than any other the depth and breadth of his impact on the musical world."--The Horn Call"Even though the primary audience for this new biography is clearly horn players--both professional and amateur--it will also appeal to many classical music lovers and record colectors."--Cornucopia, a Publication of the New England Horn Society"Composers such as Gordon Jacob, Malcolm Arnold, Matyas Seiber, York Bowen, Humphrey Searle, Benjamin Britten, and Paul Hindemith are some of the list of Brain admirers, writing horn concertos and chamber music for him. Francis Poulenc wrote 'Elegie" in memory of Dennis Brain. . . . This biography is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves the french horn."--Uijlenspieghel