This probably came from Stephen Pettitt's biography of Dennis Brain (pub. Robert Hale, London. 1976) Pettitt wrote (p. 23) that that the Op. 86 Konzertstück was given its first performance in England by the horn section of Henry Wood's orchestra (the Queen's Hall Orchestra) at one of Wood's Promenade Concerts on 8th October 1909 and that the work "was not heard again in England until April 1971". Pettitt also says that the players in that 1909 performance were, in fact, Alfred Brain (Dennis' uncle), Fred Salkeld, Oskar Borsdorf (Adolf Borsdorf's eldest son) and G.W. Smith. [Alfred's brother, Aubrey (Dennis' father), was only 16 and not yet studying at the RCM. Their father, A.E. Brain Snr., was playing horn at Covent Garden at the time.]

@@nicolasfauvel5934 Many thanks Nicolas. That's a heck of a gap in performances even allowing for two World Wars in the intervening period. I believe that Boult was once asked his opinion of orchestral standards in the 1900s compared to the 1970s. He observed that standards were pretty much the same in all departments with one exception: the horns. So I suppose Boult corroborated what Pettit implied in his book.

@@phillipecook3227 Exactly! That was indeed Pettitt's implication. He did not make any detailed comparison with horn playing standards elsewhere, although noting the several high-quality German players (like Adolf Borsdorf) who became established in England during the later part of the 19th Century. It is an interesting comment attributed to Boult about orchestral standards. I wonder how much technical developments in the horn have contributed to today's relative abundance of fine players? As a flute player I would have loved to ask Boult his opinion of the use of vibrato by wind players by the 1970s compared to earlier generations. Finally, as another anecdote, I played with Denis Matthews on several occasions in the late 1970s and he was at that time still of the opinion that Dennis Brain was the finest horn player that he had ever heard, not withstanding the high profile players then on the London scene. What a pity that Dennis Brain did not record the Schumann Konzertstück!

@@nicolasfauvel5934 Indeed. Those whom the Gods love .... at least we do have a definitive recording of Britten's Serenade.

Absolutely

Check out the recording with Dohr and Clevenger playing 1st and 2nd