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Resonus RES10114 (download only) A rarity, but of wider interest than some might guess. This recording shows the remarkable skills of Anneke Scott to great advantage, and the colours which can be obtained with the hand-held instrument. A famous horn player of his time, admired by Berlioz, Paganini’s 24 Solo Violin Caprices probably inspired Gallay to produce this oeuvre. Doubtless Anneke Scott will go on to explore and record some of Gallay's twelve horn concertos? No professional or student horn player should be without it. Resonus' releases are of the highest quality, with comprehensive background information. Enjoy Anneke's exposition on YouTube and for a specialist review, see Horn World's. Peter Grahame Woolf
Beethoven, Haydn, Krufft & Leidesdorf/Bellonci Sonatas for Horn and Fortepiano Nikolaus von Krufft: Sonata in E Major
Anneke Scott (horn) & Kathryn Cok (fortepiano) Challenge Classics CC72515 Anneke Scott and Kathryn Cok's wonderful recording of virtuosic works for natural horn and fortepiano is informed by love of their instruments and advanced learning; if you watch their model promotional video at http://magnatune.com/artists/scott_cok you will need no more from me! Principal horn in several continental baroque orchestras, Anneke has mastered her perilous instrument to a remarkable degree. Lacking mechanical valves, it shares its simplicity with the baroque flutes before they had keys, now revived widely in professional use; but the natural horn is incapable of even tone throughout scales and melodies, a limitation which is here turned to advantage in the lively character of every phrase, some of them bringing you up with little surprises. It is far from the smooth ideal epitomised in my younger years by Dennis Brain, who became famous as the first modern (valved) horn player upon whom one could rely not to have the little accidents which were commonplace in orchestras; I remember crossing my fingers listening to the trios of those Beethoven symphonies which were prone to "horn moments"... I have compared Anneke's recording of the Beethoven sonata with that of her own teacher Andew Clark, and have no hesitation in preferring the pupil's, partly because of the perfect rapport with her feisty fortepianist colleague and friend, with whom she'd first collaborated in The Etesian Ensemble. This is a great CD, featuring some unusual and worthwhile music which is not overshadowed by the better known Beethoven. We've played it through twice with great enjoyment and recommend the disc unreservedly. Peter Grahame Woolf See also Gavin Dixon in Classical CD Reviews 29 July 2011
Anneke Scott & Kathryn Cok - Virtuoso works for natural horn and fortepiano March 5, 2012 Purcell Room, London Sonata in F Op 34 - Ferdinand Ries Sonata for Horn and Piano in F Op 17 - Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata for Keyboard No 62 in E flat HobXVI/52 - (Franz) Joseph Haydn Sonata for Horn and Piano in E flat Op 28 - Franz Danzi Only a half full Purcell Room for this important recital; a rarity to have the natural horn featured as soloist. Good to have an opportunity to hear Anneke Scott [above] play live, after admiring her wonderful CD and recently gaining a little insight about this very private instrument at a natural horn master class Scott has a marvellous range of expressive colouration, all done by invisible manipulations of her hand inside the bell. She was at her best in virtuoso flourishes which were impeccable; the occasional momentarily cracked note in legato passaages showed that she is human and confirmed that her first CD probably needed a fair number of "takes" and editing to achieve its seamless perfection. By contrast, her partner visibly struggled a little when giving us the Haydn sonata; but it was all riveting, and the natural horn makes you listen hard for what you can't see. PGW
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Jacques-François Gallay 
with Roger Montgomery, Principal Horn of the
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment [R].