This may not be the first question a lot you would think to ask. I know that in my first few years on the horn I thought I knew exactly what the horn was supposed to sound like. That concept was based on my having heard the eighth grade horns play. When I finally started listening to professional horn players I discovered that there was a whole world of sounds and techniques that I had never imagined possible. Because aural images (things we hear) are so much more abstract than visual images the development of a tonal concept will take some time.

       I will never forget an incident from when I was working on my masters degree. Our horn studio teacher would regularly play recordings of different styles in horn class, and one week we heard Hermann Baumann's recording of the Gliere Concerto. I later overheard one of the undergraduates complaining to a friend about having been made to listen to "this guy that sounds like a euphonium." Far from being an indictment of Herr Baumann's playing, this indicated to me just how far behind this individual was in developing a tonal concept (of both horn and euphonium). When I talked to him about his background I discovered that he had played in bands and marched drum corps for many years, but had not played in an orchestra until that semester. He also told me that he did not own a single recording of any solo horn works. This meant that he had spent about 8 years developing a tonal concept that excluded anyone who was either over the age of 21 or being paid to play. I hope that we would all like to aim higher than that.

     If you are near a big city where you can seek out live performances of orchestral, solo, and chamber playing I strongly encourage you to do so. If you do not have that advantage it doesn't mean that you are without resources. There is a much greater variety of recordings available now from more sources than ever before. Recordings can be purchased on-line from a variety of sources, and the large bookstore chains like Borders and Barnes & Noble have fairly good classical record sections. There are also sound files available directly on-line, but they may be either easier or harder to find since the recemt Napster decisions. 

     There are a few "must have" recordings that have been such a part of the horn world for so long that everyone should hear them, but I think it is also important to hear a variety of sounds and styles from the very beginning. If you have a private teacher, talk to them about what kinds of recordings they would recommend, and for suggestions on how to listen. What appears below is only a starting point. If I've left off one of your favorites, please e-mail me the info and I'll be happy to add it. I have left out some of my favorites, because I didn't list anything I couldn't find listed at a major retail source on-line.

     This list is obviously not complete. For instance, it omits 3 of my favorite performers (Baumann, Damm, and Orval) because I couldn't find a current reference to their recordings with which I am familiar. In fact, the short list of those omitted reads like a hall of fame of horn players. Any list that doesn't include anything by Herman Baumann, John Cerminaro, Peter Damm, Francis Orval, Ifor James, Peter Landgren , Ib Lanzky-Otto, or Froydis Ree-Wekre must be incomplete, but it will give you some idea where to start. The issue of orchestral recordings, is simply to long to address here, but it is an important part of your musical training. I also skipped over some fine soloists  who are normally associated with orchestral playing in order to help focus the list a bit. I'll be happy to add another short list, or add to this list, if there is general interest.