Hervé Joulain, Horn - Kārlis Rērihs, Horn (Telemann) - Kaëlig Boché, Tenor (Britten) -

Sinfonietta Rīga Chamber Orchestra - Kaspars Adamsons, Conductor

Works by Telemann, Mozart, Britten and Kikta

Although nameless, the Suite in F Major TWV 44:7/55:F4 by Telemann is extremely pictorial: In the early 18th century, the horn is still somewhat new as an ensemble music instrument, and it serves to evoke the rural. This piece takes us outdoors. Like any French-style suite, it begins with a slow and majestic Overture, almost celestial [...]

This recording allows us to discover a new completion of Mozart’s Concerto in D, with a reworked second movement (Andante) by horn player Marco Elia Righi in 2020. Not only did he bring the Rondo with Mozart's original melodies back to life, he also added a second movement, Andante: Written in consideration of the natural horn’s technique, this new movement is quite reminiscent of the style of the slow movements of the other concertos, while perfectly fitting into the continuity of the Allegro. Marco shows real Mozartian taste, and brings a little freshness into this familiar music. What a pleasure to rediscover Mozart!

The Serenade by Britten begins and ends with calls, not of a bugle as evoked in the Nocturne, but of a horn. In this period of conflict when many deaths were to be deplored, one cannot ignore the thought of a death knell, recalled by the two horn solos which frame the Serenade. These calls, played without the valves, let the tone of F and its natural harmonics sound the way the bugle without valves can produce them. On the other hand, not only does Britten’s choice highlight the beauty of the horn and the talent of its interpreter, but these sounds add a plaintive and painful idea that announces everything that the tenor declares. [...]

As a great admirer of all the works in this album, hornist Hervé Joulain cannot hide his excitement at presenting the Concerto for Horn and Strings by Valery Kikta. The composer is of Ukrainian origin but has been living and teaching in Moscow for decades. It was pure chance that led Joulain to discover the recording by Valery Zhavoronkov, while looking for educational information for the completion of his horn book. He immediately fell in love with the piece, Kikta having mastered the art of playing with half a dozen major thematic elements, which he reuses very happily, not to say brilliantly. These elements are sometimes declamatory, sometimes rhythmic, sometimes melodic, sometimes obstinate, offering the instrument a palette of unexpected colors to play with. [...]
[extract of the CD booklet]

A great new recording, interpreted by Hervé Joulain (Horn), Kārlis Rērihs (Horn: Telemann), Kaëlig Boché (Tenor: Britten), Sinfonietta Rīga Chamber Orchestra and Kaspars Adamsons (Conductor).


Further info: Kārlis Rērihs | Kaelig Boché | Sinfonietta Riga | Kaspars Adamsons

Hervé Joulain has appeared as soloist with 120 orchestras, performing Telemann, Mozart, Haydn, Schumann, Weber, Saint-Saëns, Strauss, and Britten, in France, Canada, the United States, Russia, Romania, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Georgia, Germany, Ukraine, and Spain ...
As a chamber musician he has played with Paul Tortelier, Vadim Repin, Gidon Kremer, Natacha Gutmann, Pinchas Zukerman, Yuri Bashmet, Mstislav Rostropovich, Pierre Amoyal, Michel Dalberto, Alisa Weilerstein, Renaud Capuçon and many others, in Europe, Canada, the United States, and Israel.
He was named principal horn of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France (Marek Janowski) at the age of 20, and then with the National Orchestra of France (Charles Dutoit, Kurt Masur, Daniele Gatti, Emmanuel Krivine). He has also performed with the orchestras of New York, Berlin, Amsterdam, Rome, Milan, Cologne, Brussels, Oslo, Stockholm, Munich, Boston, Seoul, also with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Europe, conducted by Seiji Ozawa, Riccardo Muti, Bernard Haitink, Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel, Myung Whun Chung, Gustavo Dudamel, Daniel Harding, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Neeme Järvi.
Joulain has given masterclasses in many French cities, as well as in 22 countries like Portugal, the Czech Republic, Canada, Brazil, Ireland, Spain, England, Finland, Italy, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Holland, Korea, Germany and Japan.

Hervé Joulain a joué en concertiste avec 120 orchestres différents grâce à Telemann, Haydn, Mozart, Schumann, Weber, Saint-Saëns, Strauss, Britten, en France, Canada, Etats-Unis, Russie, Roumanie, Finlande, Suède, Japon, Italie, Portugal, Estonie, Suisse, Géorgie, Allemagne, Ukraine, Espagne, Lettonie ...
Passionné par la musique de chambre, s’est produit notamment aux côtés de Paul Tortelier, Pierre Amoyal, Vadim Repin, Michel Dalberto, Boris Berezowski, Boris Belkin, Pinchas Zukerman, Natacha Guttman, Yuri Bashmet, Gidon Kremer, Pierre Laurent Aimard, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, M. W. Chung, … en Europe, Canada, Etats-Unis et Israël et Asie.
À l’orchestre, il est nommé Super-Soliste du Philharmonique de Radio France de M. Janowski à 20 ans, puis du National de France (C. Dutoit, K. Masur, D. Gatti et E. Krivine).
lI fut également sollicité par les orchestres de New York, Berlin, Amsterdam, Rome, Milan, Cologne, Bruxelles, Oslo, Stockholm, Boston, Mahler Chamber de Berlin, Orchestre de Chambre d’Europe de Londres, Munich... conduits par Seiji Ozawa, Ricardo Mutti, Bernard Haïtink, Léonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Daniel Baremboïm, Pierre Boulez, Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel, Gustavo Dudamel, Daniel Harding, Yannick Nézet-Séguin ...
Hervé Joulain a donné des masterclasses partout en France ainsi qu’à Lisbonne, Prague, Edmonton, Belo Horizonte, Cork, Saragosse, La Corogne, Ferrol, Manchester, Londres, Tallinn, Jakobstad, Kuhmo, Munich, Modène, Parme, Ferrare, Bielle, Luxembourg, Kuala Lumpur, Eindhoven, Hertogenbosch, Universités de Seoul, Kiev, Omori-Japon, Tbilissi, Townsville-Australie ...
« Par son art qui paraît sans limite, Hervé JOULAIN s'inscrit dans le sillage des grands cornistes de légende Dennis Brain et Barry Tuckwell » (Michel Le Naour, "Le Monde de la Musique")

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