Jacques-François Gallay (1795–1864) was a virtuoso horn soloist who became principal of the Théâtre Italien in Paris in 1825. Recognized by his contemporaries as one of the preeminent performers of his generation, Gallay served as professor of horn at the Paris Conservatory from 1842 to 1864 and was made Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 1845. His immense talents notwithstanding, he also had the benefit of living in a time and place laden with opportunity. Gallay composed pieces heavily influenced by his experience in the Théâtre Italien, which entered its heyday during his tenure. It is also important to note that at this time of expanding possibilities in instrument technology, performers undertook the task of composing for their ever-changing equipment, as they were often the first to truly understand its capabilities. Although Gallay did not embrace the development of the valve in his own playing, he brought the art of manipulating the horn through hand stopping to a new level, as demonstrated in his method, études, caprices and concert compositions, such as the fantasias featured on this disc.

Anneke Scott, the natural horn soloist who performs on this disc, is in many ways Gallay’s modern-day counterpart. She is principal horn of many of the top ensembles in the British Isles, including the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, The English Baroque Soloists, Orchestra of the Sixteen and others. She has recorded several solo discs of early horn repertoire and has most recently championed the work of Jacques-François Gallay in both her performances and enviable scholarship, both of which are on display in this recording. Scott’s collaborators are also impressively credentialed. Lyric soprano Lucy Crowe has performed all over the world – from the Metropolitan Opera to Covent Garden – and is in constant demand with period ensembles throughout Europe. Pianist Steven Devine is harpsichordist with the London Baroque and performs regularly with a number of early music groups in England. He is also an in-demand conductor of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century opera, and is Professor of Fortepiano at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire, London.

Scott’s command of the natural horn is breath-taking; her control, especially evident in rapid slurred passages, is a triumph over the nature of the instrument. Trills – accomplished on a natural horn solely by manipulation of the airstream and embouchure – are impeccable, and her intonation – so perilous on an unvented brass instrument confined to the overtone series – is flawless. Most impressive about this recording is the simple fact that Scott’s stunning musicianship shines through the most fiendishly difficult regions of this repertoire such that, through her mastery, the non-brass-playing listener is allowed to abandon all concern for the instrument’s treacherous nature. A performance of this calibre is the very definition of virtuosity.

One of the highlights of this recording is ‘Fuis, laisse-moi’ from Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux. Here, the horn blends with and matches Lucy Crowe’s voice so beautifully that one might swear at times there are two singers. This selection rivals – in terms of both beauty and exquisite musicianship – the elegant collaboration between trumpeter Niklas Eklund and soprano Susanne Rydén in their 1995 recording of Handel’s ‘Eternal Source of Light Divine’ from the Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne.Footnote ¹ Scott’s performance here also brings to mind a contemporary review of Gallay himself: ‘more a human voice than a brass instrument’.Footnote ²

For this project, Scott performs on a natural horn made by Marcel-August Raoux in 1823, on loan from the Bate Collection at the University of Oxford. Raoux, who played second horn to Gallay in the Théâtre Italien (and replaced him upon his retirement) was the son of Lucien-Joseph Raoux, who made a horn for Gallay in 1821, which Gallay’s daughter bequeathed to the Paris Conservatoire after his death. Although also an original instrument, the 1851 Érard piano used for this recording is of somewhat later vintage. It, too, has a historical connection to the early performers: Frédéric Kalkbrenner, who collaborated often with Gallay, was a noted proponent of Érard pianos. It is thus a rare treat to have two accomplished artists playing instruments comparable to those the composer and original performers of these works would have used.

Timbral variety – in both the horn and piano – is another delightful feature of this recording. This feature presents itself from note to note as Scott varies the amount of stopping used to control pitch and vary colour. The period piano, while less varied in timbre from register to register than a fortepiano, also exhibits a spectrum of tonal possibility, revealed beautifully by Devine. The album is recorded intimately, as if the listener were attending a recital in a small yet flattering hall, with the horn’s presence fairly forward on the soundstage and the piano placed a bit in the background. Scott’s liner notes are impeccably researched and show sensitivity to the programming of repertoire, historical research and thoughtful storytelling. Replete with quotations from periodicals of the era and detailed analyses of each work, her accompanying essay helps to bring the entire recorded performance to life.

Overall, this collection – the performances, programme, instrument choice, liner notes, even the album artwork depicting the Théâtre Italien during Gallay’s heyday – provides a delightful and comprehensive representation of the zenith of this repertoire, presented at the highest levels of musical, technical and scholarly sophistication. A listener whose ears are open to the artistic and timbral possibilities of an instrument taken to its absolute peak during a period of technological upheaval cannot find a better reward than this fascinating recording.