Martin Owen Plays Strauss, Schumann & Weber Martin Owen, BBC Philharmonic & John Wilson

• Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856): Concertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra, Op. 86:
• 1 Schumann: Concertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra, Op. 86: I. Lebhaft 07:11
• 2 Schumann: Concertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra, Op. 86: II. Romanze 04:39
• 3 Schumann: Concertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra, Op. 86: III. Sehr lebhaft 05:38
• Carl Maria von Weber (1786 - 1826): Concertino for Horn and Orchestra, Op. 45, J. 188:
• 4 Weber: Concertino for Horn and Orchestra, Op. 45, J. 188: I. Adagio – Andante 01:53
• 5 Weber: Concertino for Horn and Orchestra, Op. 45, J. 188: II. Andante con moto 03:42
• 6 Weber: Concertino for Horn and Orchestra, Op. 45, J. 188: III. Recitativo 02:49
• 7 Weber: Concertino for Horn and Orchestra, Op. 45, J. 188: IV. Polacca 05:03
• Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949): Concerto for Horn and Orchestra No. 1, Op. 11, TrV 117:
• 8 Strauss: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra No. 1, Op. 11, TrV 117: I. Allegro 05:17
• 9 Strauss: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra No. 1, Op. 11, TrV 117: II. Andante 05:14
• 10 Strauss: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra No. 1, Op. 11, TrV 117: III. Allegro – Rondo 04:58
• Concerto for Horn and Orchestra No. 2, TrV 283:
• 11 Strauss: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra No. 2, TrV 283: I. Allegro 08:43
• 12 Strauss: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra No. 2, TrV 283: II. Andante con moto 05:22
• 13 Strauss: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra No. 2, TrV 283: III. Rondo 04:58
• Total Runtime 01:05:27

Info for Martin Owen Plays Strauss, Schumann & Weber

Regarded as one of Europe’s leading horn players, Martin Owen appears as a soloist and chamber musician around the world. Currently principal horn at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, he has previously served as principal horn of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and as solo horn of the Berliner Philharmoniker.

Weber’s Concertino was written for the old, valveless ‘natural horn’; its limited range of notes (tied to the harmonic series) was extended mechanically with additional tubing (‘crooks’) and, more artfully, by virtuoso players bending notes, and varied hand stopping. The technical demands of the Concertino are testament to the extraordinary facility of the hornists of the period.

The first Horn Concerto by Richard Strauss, written at the age of nineteen, whilst a student, is widely considered his first uncontested masterpiece. Although the influence of Brahms and Schumann are evident, his own compositional voice is unmistakable. Strauss would continue to write significant parts for horn in all of his orchestral scores (possibly an influence of his father, who was a virtuoso hornist), but the second Concerto was not composed until 1942 – some sixty years later. The style is much more neo-classical, even ‘Mozartian’.

Schumann’s riotous Concertstück for four horns opens the programme, and features three more outstanding soloists: Christopher Parkes (Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia of London), Alec Frank-Gemmill (Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra), and Sarah Willis (Berliner Philharmoniker).

Martin Owen, horn
Chris Parkes, horn
Alec Frank-Gemmill, horn
Sarah Willis, horn
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
John Wilson, conductor

Martin Owen
is regarded as one of Europe's leading horn players, appearing as soloist and chamber musician all around the world. Martin currently holds the position of Principal Horn at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, having served as Principal Horn of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for ten years, and from 2012-13 was contracted as Principal Horn of the Berliner Philharmoniker. He is also Principal Horn in the California-based chamber music ensemble Camerata Pacifica and the UK’s Britten Sinfonia and Haffner Ensemble.

Performances include concertos by Mozart, Richard Strauss, Schumann, Messiaen, Britten, Elliott Carter, Oliver Knussen and Thea Musgrave with orchestras including the BBCSO, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Orquesta Nacional de España, The Hallé, New World Symphony, Bucharest Philharmonic, Ensemble Modern, Aalborg Symfoniorkester and Baltic Philharmonic, and recitals with Camerata Pacifica.

Martin Owen gave the world premiere of Malcolm Arnold's Burlesque with the Royal Philharmonic and in 2007, made his solo debut at the BBC Proms performing Schumann's Konzertstück with the BBC Philharmonic. Martin has since returned to the Proms as soloist in Oliver Knussen's Horn Concerto with the BBCSO conducted by the composer, broadcast live on BBC television and radio. In 2008, he made his Barbican debut in the London premiere of Elliott Carter's Horn Concerto with the BBCSO/Knussen (a performance released by Bridge Records) and later performed the Knussen and Elliott Carter horn concertos with the Orquesta Nacional de España in Madrid. Other recordings include Mozart’s horn concertos with the Royal Philharmonic (RPO Classics), Britten's Serenade with Toby Spence and the Scottish Ensemble (Linn), Schubert's Octet with Michael Collins (Wigmore Hall Live), Schumann's Konzertstück with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra/Mackerras (BBC Music Magazine), Danzi's Sinfonia Concertante with the Orquestra de Cadaques/Marriner (Trito), Roderick Elms' Four Seasonal Nocturnes with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Bell (Dutton) and Benjamin Britten's Canticles with tenor Ben Johnson (Signum Classics). Additionally, Martin Owen has performed on over 300 movie soundtracks to date including James Bond, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean films.

Recent solo performances include Vivaldi Concerto for 2 horns and strings, and Stravinsky Four Russian Peasant Songs with the Berlin Philharmonic, Schumann's Konzertstück and Musgrave's Horn Concerto with the BBCSO/Sakari Oramo, Strauss and Mozart concerti with Bucharest Philharmonic and Strauss Concerto No. 2 with the Baltic Philharmonic. Martin joined Mark Padmore and the Bergen Philharmonic/Edward Gardner for Britten’s Serenade, performed Strauss 2 with Barcelona Opera orchestra/Josep Pons and Strauss 1 with Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg/Sir Roger Norrington. He also performed Britten’s Serenade in Shanghai, Norwich and Cambridge with Britten Sinfonia/Ian Bostridge. 2017/18 included chamber and solo work in the UK, Italy, France, Poland, Austria, Finland, Romania, China, Australia and the USA, and guest principal horn with the Cleveland Orchestra. 2019/20 season saw Martin return to the proms performing Messiaen’s Des Canyons Aux Etoiles, Britten’s Serenade in the Barbican, concerti with Trondheim and Ostrobothnian Chamber orchestras and chamber concerts in Italy with violinist Francesca Dego. 2022 sees Martin recording both Richard Strauss concerti, Weber Concertino and Schumann Konzertstück with BBC Philharmonic/John Wilson for Chandos Records, and also for Chandos, Martin will record trios by Brahms/Ligeti/Mozart with Francesca Dego and Alessandro Taverna, piano, mid 2023.

Martin Owen is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, where he is Professor of Horn, and has given masterclasses at institutions including the Hans Eisler Berlin, Maurice André Academy Valencia, Conservatorio de Santiago de Compostela, USC and UCLA in Los Angeles, as well as being coach to the horn section of the European Union Youth Orchestra.

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