Dennis Brain facts for kids
Dennis Brain (born 17 May 1921; died London, 1 September 1957) was a British horn player. During his short life, he became very famous around the world. Many people thought he was the greatest horn player ever. He helped make the horn a popular instrument among people who loved classical music in Britain. He made famous recordings, including the four horn concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He recorded these with the Philharmonia Orchestra, led by Herbert von Karajan.
Contents
Life of Dennis Brain
Early Years and Musical Family
Dennis Brain was born in London on 17 May 1921. Music was in his family! Many of his relatives played the horn, including his father Aubrey Brain, his grandfather Alfred Edwin Brain Sr., and his uncle Alfred Edwin Brain Jr.. His mother, Marion, was a singer who had performed at the Royal Opera House. Dennis also had an older brother, Leonard, who became a great oboe player.
Dennis started learning the piano. He also played the bugle in his school's cadet band. Later, at St Paul’s School, he sang in the choir and played piano solos. In 1936, he earned a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. There, he studied the horn with his father, and also learned piano and organ.
His first professional concert was in 1938 at the Queen's Hall. He played Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 with his father. Soon, he was playing in many concerts and making recordings.
Playing During World War II
When World War II started in 1939, Dennis's studies were interrupted. Concert halls closed, but he found a job as the main horn player with the Royal Air Force Central Band. Even though he was only 17, everyone could see his amazing talent.
He played in concerts whenever he could, including special lunch-hour concerts at the National Gallery. He started to become famous. He met composer Benjamin Britten, who wrote his famous Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings for Dennis. He performed it in 1943 and later recorded it. He even toured the United States with the RAF Orchestra. Many conductors heard him and wanted him to join their orchestras.
Fame After the War
By 1945, Dennis Brain was the most famous horn player in England, even though he was only 24. His father had an injury, so Dennis took over some of his playing jobs. After the war, two new orchestras started in London: the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Dennis became the main horn player for both! Later, he left the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra because he was too busy.
Dennis also loved playing chamber music (music for small groups). He started a wind quintet with his brother in 1946. This group grew and toured to Germany, Italy, and Austria. He also formed a trio with a pianist and a violinist.
In 1953, Dennis recorded the famous Mozart Horn Concertos for EMI. He played with the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Karajan. He also kept up his organ playing. In 1955, millions of people heard him when he hosted a radio show called The Early Horn.
Dennis had a great sense of humour. He once played a horn concerto by blowing through rubber hose pipes! He even cut the hoses with garden shears to make them perfectly in tune. He was also known for being a bit careless with his horn. His instrument had many dents because he often knocked or dropped it.
New Music Written for Dennis
Dennis often asked composers to write new music for him. Many composers also wrote for him without being asked! Some of these composers included Benjamin Britten, Malcolm Arnold, Paul Hindemith, and Richard Strauss. Dennis helped make the two horn concertos by Richard Strauss very popular.
Dennis's Love for Cars
Besides horns, Dennis had another big passion: he loved cars! At orchestra rehearsals, he sometimes had a car magazine on his music stand instead of his music. (He often knew the music by heart anyway!) He loved to drive and would often drive long distances home after a concert. He owned several cars, including a Morris, a Citroën, and a green TR2 sports car. He even drove a huge Hudson car over a snowy mountain pass in Switzerland and a Mercedes-Benz for Herbert von Karajan!
Dennis Brain's Death
On 31 August 1957, Dennis played a concert at the Edinburgh International Festival. He seemed tired that day. After the concert, he got into his TR2 car, put his horn on the back seat, and started the long 380-mile drive back to London for a recording session the next morning.
Around 6:00 AM the next day, he was near London. It was raining heavily. He was driving very fast when he came to a bend. His car left the road, flipped over, and crashed into a tree. The car was completely destroyed, and Dennis died. He was only 36 years old. He was buried at Hampstead Cemetery in London.
His Fame and Playing Style
When Dennis played his horn, it sounded easy and beautiful. His music had an amazing lyrical quality and was always incredibly musical. He was a very sensitive player who listened carefully to others and blended in well with them.
At first, he played a French horn, which had a lovely smooth sound. Later, in 1951, he switched to an Alexander horn, which was a bit different from the usual German instruments. This helped him keep the lighter sound he liked.
Dennis made the horn a very popular instrument, not just through his concerts and recordings, but also through his radio shows. He could play very difficult music that other horn players found hard. His sudden death made him an even bigger musical legend.
- Oxford Music Online retrieved 21.11.2010
- Pettitt, Stephen. 1976. Dennis Brain: a biography. London: Robert Hale. ISBN: 0-7091-5772-X
Images for kids
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Brain's Alexander B♭/A model 90 horn, damaged in the crash, restored by Paxman and now on display at the Royal Academy of Music
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Brain, c. 1950
See also
In Spanish: Dennis Brain para niños
