Dominik Wollenweber – The Art of English Horn - CD

The programme features Johann Sebastian Bach’s Concerto in G major for English horn, strings and basso continuo, based on the Easter Oratorio BWV 249; Antonín Dvořák’s Largo from Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World”, Op. 95; Franz Schubert’s Impromptu No. 3 in G-flat major, Op. 90; Jean Sibelius’s The Swan of Tuonela, a symphonic poem from the Lemminkäinen Suite, Op. 22; Jean Françaix’s Quartet for English horn, violin, viola and cello; and Richard Wagner’s Hirtenreigen auf einer Schalmei from Tristan und Isolde. Dominik Wollenweber plays the English horn with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, the Collegium of the Berlin Philharmonic, and pianist Anna Kirichenko. “The English horn needs a soft, round vibrato ... We are among those who make people cry,” says Wollenweber of his instrument. Behind his modest manner and lack of celebratory articles and glossy photographs stands one of the finest English horn players; Claudio Abbado went even further, calling him “the best player of all time”. Wollenweber has been a member of the Berlin Philharmonic since 1993. On this recording, the orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle accompany him in Sibelius’s beautiful symphonic poem The Swan of Tuonela, while members of the Berlin Philharmonic join him throughout the album. It is difficult to imagine an album devoted to the English horn without the Largo from Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony or the solo from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. Bach’s concerto and Schubert’s Impromptu may come as a surprise, while Jean Françaix’s Quartet simply lifts the spirits. For listeners who love the English horn’s unique, dark velvet tone, otherwise heard more like a flash of a jewel amid the large canvases of symphonic works, this is an opportunity to discover its beauty, while those who have not yet encountered the instrument will find an ideal introduction. An irresistibly beautiful tone, with the English horn in the hands of a master.