Musicians - Dennis Brain

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	Musicians - Dennis Brain

Dennis Brain (1921-05-17 – 1957-09-01) was a highly distinguished, British horn player and was largely responsible for popularizing the idea that the horn could be used as a soloistic instrument.

A Family Tradition

Dennis Brain was born in London into a family already well known for producing fine horn players.

His grandfather, Alfred Edwin Brain Sr. (1860-02-04 - 1925-10-25), was considered one of the top horn soloists of his time.

Dennis's uncle, Alfred Edwin Brain Jr. (1885-10-24 - 1966-03-29), had a successful career playing horn in the United States with the New York Symphony Society and later as a soloist in Hollywood.

Dennis's father, Aubrey Brain
(1893-07-12 - 1955-09-21), held the principal horn position in the BBC Symphony Orchestra and was also a teacher. Aubrey Brain produced the first Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart horn concerto recording in 1927.

Dennis's mother, Marion Brain, was a composer and wrote cadenzas to the first and third Mozart horn concerti which her husband played.

Dennis's brother, Leonard Brain (1915 - 1975) was an oboist and performed with Dennis in a wind quintet that Dennis formed. One of Leonard's children (Dennis's niece), Tina Brain, became a professional horn player.

Dennis wed Yvonne Brain and had two children: Anthony Paul Brain and Sally Brain.

Musical Career

Early Years

At an early age, Brain was allowed to blow a few notes on his father's horn every Saturday morning. Aubrey Brain held the belief that students should not study the horn seriously until the latter teenage years when the teeth and embouchure became fully developed. During these years, Brain studied piano and organ. It wasn't until the age of 15 that Dennis was to transfer from St Paul's School to the Royal Academy of Music to study horn under his father's tutelage. While there, he continued his piano studies under Max Pirani and organ under G.D. Cunningham. He played on a French-style Raoux horn.

Brain debuted in performance on October 6, 1938 playing second horn under his father with the Busch Chamber Players at the Queen's Hall. They performed Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 1. Brain's first recording was of Mozart's Divertimento in D Major K. 334 in February, 1939 with the Lener Quartet. Again, he played second under his father.

At the age of 21, Brain was appointed the first horn position in the National Symphony Orchestra. This tenure did not last long as he was soon conscripted into the armed forces with his brother as World War II was occurring. Both brothers joined the Royal Air Force Central Band. Later, the Royal Air Force Symphony Orchestra was formed and Brain joined it. That ensemble went on a goodwill tour of the United States. During the tour, a number of orchestral conductors invited Brain to join their groups after the war, including Leopold Stokowski of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

In 1943, Brain's solo career truly began when Benjamin Britten wrote his Serenade for Tenor and Horn for Peter Pears and Brain.

Later years

By 1945, Brain was the most sought-after horn player in England. He was 24 years old at the time. His father injured himself in a fall and lost much of his stamina to play. After the war, Walter Legge and Thomas Beecham founded the Philharmonia and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, respectively. Brain filled the position as principal horn in both. Later, he found that he did not have enough time to fill both positions and resigned from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Expanding his interest in the neglected area of chamber music, Brain formed a wind quintet with his brother in 1946. This group eventually grew in size and toured in Germany, Italy and Austria. Brain also founded a trio with pianist Wilfrid Parry and violinist Jean Pougnet. The trio toured Scotland twice and made plans to tour Australia in the winter of 1957. Briefly, Brain put together a chamber ensemble consisting of his friends so that he could conduct music.

In 1951, Brain switched to the German-style Alexander horn.

Under the direction of Herbert von Karajan, Brain performed the organ in a recording of the Intermezzo from Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana in July, 1954.

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