Joie de vivre

You may be wondering how I got so far through the year with nothing yet by Wolfgang Amadeus. The truth is I have an excellent boxed set of CDs, including a wide range of his work. But it's time to add to the collection and I've chosen a legendary recording of Mozart's 4 horn concertos and quintet for piano and wind instruments featuring one of the greatest ever French horn players - Dennis Brain (EMI 0946 3 38603 2 2). Dennis Brain loved fast cars and is said to have kept a copy of a car magazine on his music stand whilst playing the Mozart concertos from memory. Tragically his love of driving cost him his life at the age of 36 when he drove his Triumph TR2 off the A1 whilst returning from the Edinburgh Festival to London in September 1957. This is a wonderful collection of some of his finest recordings. The final movement of the fourth concerto showcases a unique talent, demonstrating the joie de vivre he clearly had in spades.