An amazing discovery was made in the Royal College of Art in Torquay (I thought it had moved to Ilfracombe?) in late 1997. A famous portrait of Mozart was found to be part-fake. Some jealous horn player had repainted a section of the picture to hide the evidence that these works were in fact written for a type of trombone. Restoration by Prof H O Aks reveals Mozart holding a 'Cornobone' (a hybrid horn-trombone with slides to facilitate tricky chromatic shifts) right next to a score of what we once mistakenly thought was the composer's Fourth Horn Concerto. Robert von Bahr, the owner of BIS, clearly took to Torquay and he celebrated these sensational findings with one too many with the Major at Fawlty Towers - and a very funny spoof article. Despite the badinage, Mr von Bahr has on his books the only trombonist around who can irradiate Mozart's four horn concertos with a delicacy and discernment to make a serious musical statement in this decidedly horny territory.
Although many of the cheeky, affectionate and challenging characteristics of these works appear to have been singularly created for the gestural world of the horn (and Joseph Leutgeb's friendship with Mozart), Christian Lindberg brings such flexibility, lightness and impeccable intonation to the performances that one is unashamedly beguiled by the lyrical sweetness of the Romanze of the Fourth Concerto, the sensational control in the seamless Andante of No 2, and the dazzling exchanges with the wonderfully fresh Tapiola Sinfonietta in the finale of the Third Concerto. While some of the endearing 'clucking' of the horn in the Rondos is lost with Lindberg's seamless articulation, there is no question that the essential character of the music remains firmly intact, celebrating these unique works with a distinctive joie de vivre. I can't wait to see if anyone falls for the ruse, though!
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