Krehbiel Excerpts CD Review by Robert Marlatt Cornucopia, April 1994

David Krehbiel, Principal Horn of the San Francisco Symphony, has produced a CD, Summit DCD 141 Orchestral Excerpts for Horn, that is deservedly talked about and sought-after by horn players.

The CD is a compilation of the most asked-for passages, in alphabetical order by composer, from Bach's B Minor Mass through Wagner's Siegfried's Horn Call. Along the way, Krehbiel comments on the pieces and gives tips on successful execution. San Francisco second hornist, Lori Westin, assists on some excerpts.

This is a very well-recorded performance. The venue was a church in Monrovia CA, with the result that the sound is quite live but the articulations are not smeared. The engineers are to be commended for capturing minute details of technique while maintaining the essence of the musical thoughts.

I have long admired Krehbiel's playing, heard in recordings and broadcasts of the SFS, and this CD only adds to that opinion. Krehbiel's tone is large and beautiful and remarkably even throughout three octaves. I am impressed by his legato -- very smooth, especially in the difficult passages of Strauss. Also notable is his light vibrato, used judiciously and to great effect in the cantabile passages; however, the majority of passages are in a dark Germanic tone.

Krehbiel's attacks are very clean and forceful, the way one must play in the back of a large symphony orchestra. Up close, the tonguing might seem hard and punchy, but the message must be delivered to the back row of a huge concert hall. This aspect of Krehbiel's technique should be especially noted by students.

The comments spoken before each selection are brief, often referring to the emotion involved with the music. The tips regarding execution are general and not as complete as one would hear in a lesson with a pro; they will benefit students but probably not advanced players.

This CD is an important addition to any aspiring professional's library. One could wish for additional excerpts, especially non-first horn passages, but the CD is already 69 minutes long -- perhaps on the next one? Hopefully, this one will assist talented hornists in achieving the goals of landing a job with an orchestra and gaining insight into playing the works in performance.

Bob is a free-lancer, playing in the Opera Company of Boston, many orchestras in NE, Boston Opera Horn Quartet, and various brass groups such as Atlantic and Epic. His MM is from Northwestern University. He also works part-time in finance at MIT.
Dave Krehbiel is now retired from the San Francisco Symphony but has been active at IHS and regional workshops.
You can find this CD at Osmun Music.

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