Charles Gounod's Six Melodies for Horn and Piano were written for the cor à pistons, an early valve horn with two valves that allowed chromatic playing for the first time.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The album's concept is inspired by Robert Schumann's quote: "The first concept is always the most natural and the best. The mind misleads, the feeling does not."
Album & Artwork
The album title, "MANU SCRIPTUM," is Latin for "written by hand," reflecting the album's inspiration from composers' original manuscripts and initial ideas.
Compositional Technique
Volker David Kirchner's Tre Poemi for Horn and Piano employs new effects, sounds, and colors, pushing the limits of both instruments to create a three-dimensional sound world.
Performer Biography
Adrián Díaz Martínez, the horn player on this album, is currently pursuing a doctorate on the history and performance of Richard Strauss's Second Horn Concerto, a work featured on this recording.
Composer Biography
Robert Schumann, a promising pianist, had to abandon his solo career due to a hand injury and focused entirely on composing, suffering from mental illness throughout his life.
Recording & Production
The recording of Richard Strauss's Second Horn Concerto features a version for horn and two pianos, allowing all the notes the composer wrote to be heard, as the piano part was originally written for three or four staves.
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