In September 1956, a year before his death in a car accident, Dennis Brain recorded both Strauss horn concertos with Wolfgang Sawallisch, and these performances are currently available (EMI 1001/9987). The reading of the First Concerto on this disc is an earlier version dating from 1947, and apparently Brain felt that it showed his playing at its very best. That best was something very special, and it is impossible to imagine the horn being played to better effect than it is here. Brain was unique in having an extraordinarily secure technique, and the need to avoid 'fluffs' over the course of a four-minute 78 side obviously concerned him little. There is a wonderful spirit of confident joy and spontaneity in his performance and his inimitably bright but sonorous tone-quality is well captured by the recording.
Leon Goossens's clear, very English oboe tone is also immediately recognizable. He too had a superlative technique, and his exquisite artistry was universally admired for many years. His recording of the Strauss Concerto was the first ever, and indeed was made before the composer revised the work in 1948. Goossens's elegant style seem ideally suited to Strauss's long, soaring melodic lines, and as in the Brain performance there is good support from Galliera and the Philharmonia.
Gwydion Brooke, son of the composer Josef Holbrooke, played the bassoon in leading British orchestras for nearly 50 years, and spent the latter part of his career with the Philharmonia Orchestra. He made few solo recordings, but recorded the Mozart Concerto with Beecham (EMI (CD) CDM7 63408-2) and the Weber in 1947 at Sargent's request, having performed it in concert with him the previous year. The Liverpool Philharmonic's playing is just a little seedy, and though Brooke himself plays with much beauty of tone and admirable technique, his style is a little too aristocratic and refined for this cheerful, uncomplicated piece. The recording balance is partly to blame, for the soloist is not projected strongly enough. A pleasant memento of a fine artist, however, and in all three works the transfers from 78s have been well made.'