dennis brain interview -- rare

Dennis Brain, French Horn solost, interviewed by Roy Plomley on August 13, 1956 for the BBC radio program Desert Island Discs. Very rare recording. This was the last year Dennis Brain lived as he died in a car accident the next year. To me, Dennis Brain was the greatest horn player.

[@phillipecook3227]

"Legend has it that Dennis Brain recorded the Strauss Horn Concertos while reading Motorsport" Harold Nash. Sounding Brass, Spring 1976 Edition.

[@richelaalscholver]

probably the best horn player ever

[@ericsample9818]

Not probably. Fluid effortless and the best ever.

[@oliviafontaine8470]

What a lovely informative articulate interview. I so enjoyed listening to Dennis Brain speak - as I’ve never heard his voice - his playing has taken on a new dimension for me now. Thank you Morgan Hastings for this upload.

[@chloekona3632]

Desert Island Discs is an historical treasure trove.

[@EvanYoungMusic]

so sad he left us early...

[@madisonbrantley2485]

i would of loved to meet him. I heard he was a really good horn player. i would love to have at least one third of his horn playing abillities. He is my role model R.I.P and may you play the horn in heaven for the rest of your ghost life.

[@Certifier]

Madison Brantley Listen if you had a third of his ability you'd be like in the CSO. Dennis Brain was really that good

[@brookeggleston9314]

Commonly called "eternity".

[@morganh1066]

@@brookeggleston9314 i like, "ghost life..." it has a halloween vibe to it :P

[@brookeggleston9314]

@@morganh1066 Well, that's how long a ghost's life lasts: eternity!!🤦 Stay safe and healthy!✨🌹 Blessings . . .🌊✨👁️🔥👁️✨🐬

[@bwabwbaba9269]

Watching the review for a music project, proud to be able to put him in the famous players for the French Horn section

[@bobdavis7192]

My music teacher in High School loaned me a record of Dennis Brain and I just about wore it out for him. He was very influential in my playing. Thanks for uploading this. He died way too young.

[@charlesdavenport6094]

I noticed Dennis asked for an "inexhaustible supply of motoring magazines"

[@bartsoriginalmusicchannel9247]

brilliant

[@darrenharte]

The crash that took his life was at the junction of Wellfield Road and A1 Barnet Bypass in Hatfield. Wellfield Road leads to French Horn Lane!

[@morganh1066]

thanks for sharing! i wasn't aware of that! has anyone fully determined what happened? had he fallen asleep? or was driving too fast?

[@darrenharte984]

He had been driving overnight from Edinburgh. It was raining heavily. So I assume a mix of bad road conditions and tiredness.

[@morganh1066]

@@darrenharte984 so sad. such talent. i like it that his organ teacher said that he could have equally gone into organ performance had he focused on that

[@heimerblaster976]

I did not know he did a verbal interview. Very interesting.

[@flanplan5903]

I think he was a very shy person, which is why he rarely did interviews.

[@adityapurohit8232]

Today, 1.9.2021 is the 64th death anniversary of Maestro Dennis Brain's sudden and unfortunate demise in the road accident. I heard his recordings of Mozart's all horn concertos in mid-90s when I brought LPs of the same through the British Council Library, Mumbai. I fell in love with his superb execution ,versatilty, command over the instrument. My sincere tributes to his memory. Aditya Purohit

[@1968KWT]

RIP Dennis Brain (died #otd in 1957) 🌺🌺🌺

[@ProfMishka]

Does anyone know when this interview took place? I'm struck by the irony of his comments about playing for 30 or 40 more years and that his hobby was motoring.

[@morganh1066]

hey, thanks for your comment, michael! it was august 13, 1956. yeah, it's pretty sad about the motoring. he was an interesting character. if you want to know more about him, check out the biography of dennis brain by Stephen J. Pettitt. He was a very accomplished organ player as well. and it's interesting to note that he was a bit of a reluctant prodigy since he actually liked playing the organ more, but was just known for being a fantastic horn player. here's some funny irony for you.... grace kelly in to catch a thief was driving really fast in the south of france in the movie and almost went off a cliff, and then in real life, she drove really fast in the south of france, and did actually die going off a cliff.

[@davidgrahambrown3793]

@@morganh1066 On September 13, 1982, Grace Kelly suffered a stroke while driving in the Côte d'Azur region of France. She lost control of her car, which fell down a 45-foot embankment. She died the following day. Her daughter Stéphanie, who had been in the car with her, only sustained minor injuries.

[@morganh1066]

@@davidgrahambrown3793 thanks, david! so sad. wish we had more movies with her

[@davidgrahambrown3793]

@@morganh1066 My pleasure Morgan. Thank you for posting such interesting and informative videos. Subscribed.😊

[@philnewton3096]

It s said he used a ceramic mouthpiece and in a book I read that this was shattered in the fatal crash where the horn survived.-?I saw his horn on display in the Royal Academy about 7 yrs ago. Did he have any musical training on piano before horn playing ?

[@morganh1066]

i hadnt heard the ceramic mouthpiece... as for keyboard training, he started on piano very early but switched to organ and became quite an accomplished organ player. he was quoted as saying he "put in his daily cent on the horn and then practiced the organ."

[@philnewton3096]

Thanks -His early ear training on organ was probably a formality on top of the natural facility that its said to be had by most children in early years in order to sift select and memorise from the morass of sounds around them at birth[including his fathers `horn] for use and survive via communication.I think the car was reconstructed but was later destroyer in a garage fire.

[@morganh1066]

@@philnewton3096 he said in the interview that his mother was "wise enough not to teach him piano herself" which i thought was funny. but i read in the stephen petitt biography that brain was so good at the organ he could have equally gone into it as a career instead. i remember about the car, that's too bad. i do wonder what happened to his raoux that would be lovely to see also!

[@banjocracy]

Is the whole interview still in existence?

[@alangiles2763]

Sadly no. This is the only extract the BBC holds of this addition - very few 1940/50s episodes survive intact.

[@alangiles2763]

Here are the broadcast details from the BBC website: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009y98k

[@morganh1066]

i have heard a great deal of the interview but i cant remember where

[@alangiles2763]

@@morganh1066 I think there is an off-air recording which appeared years ago on a BBC (Radio Enterprises?) LP which mixed interviews with BBC recordings including excerpts from the concert recorded the night before DB's death. There was a series of such LPs in the late 70s I think, and all I remember of this one is that it had a brown cover with white printing. If I can find any further details I will come back

[@alangiles2763]

@@morganh1066 This is the one I think Morgan: www.discogs.com/Dennis-Brain-Introduced-By-Wilfrid-Parry-His-Last-Broadcasts/release/9803749