A devil to play: one man's year-long quest to master the orchestra's most difficult instrument
Description
In the days before his fortieth birthday, London-based journalist Jasper Rees trades his pen for a French horn that has been gathering dust in the attic for more than twenty-two years, and, on a lark, plays it at the annual festival of the British Horn Society.
Despite an embarrassingly poor performance, the experience inspires Rees to embark on a daunting, bizarre, and ultimately winning journey: to return to the festival in one year's time and play a Mozart concerto—solo—to a large paying audience.
A Devil to Play is the true story of an unlikely midlife crisis spent conquering sixteen feet of wrapped brass tubing widely regarded as the most difficult instrument to master, as well as the most treacherous to play in public. It is the history of man's first musical instrument, a compelling journey that moves from the walls of Jericho to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, from the hunting fields of France to the heart of Hollywood. And it is the account of one man's mounting musical obsession, told with pitch-perfect wit and an undeniable charm—an endearing, inspiring tale of perseverance and achievement, relayed masterfully, one side-splittingly off-key note at a time.
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9780061979712
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From the Book - First edition.
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Published Reviews
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* After 22 years without blowing a note, British journalist Rees dusts off his old French horn to play at the British Horn Society's annual festival. The experience inspires Rees to return to the festival the next year to perform solo, a task so fraught with ear-splitting notes and emotional torment that every major horn player in the world advises the 40-year-old student to find a safer midlife crisis. But Rees is determined. He immerses himself not only in the horn repertoire but also in the entire history of the instrument, an expedition that takes him from aristocratic hunting grounds to the concert hall, to Hollywood and Darth Vader's funeral. He seeks out top horn players in Europe and the U.S. for their perspectives on this devilish coil of metal, and locks himself away for countless hours of practice in an attempt to master Mozart's Third Horn Concerto, K. 447. Rees records his journey with impeccable research and a sharp wit, weaving together his first lessons as a youth with those of adulthood, all the while reliving the horn's long history in a musical and literary achievement.--Mandel, Elliot Copyright 2008 Booklist
Publisher's Weekly Review
Rees, a London journalist, decided to face his midlife crisis by picking up the French horn--an instrument he hadn't played since he was a teenager--and whip himself back into shape so he could play a Mozart concerto in front of an audience in just one year. Luckily, he had one of England's best horn players to give him lessons, but it was still an uphill battle--for starters, the concerto was composed in the key of E flat, but the horn was tuned to F, so Rees (like every performer before him) had to transpose the notes down a tone as he played along. Along the way, he recounts the instrument's colorful history, including a playful recreation of the first performance of Handel's Water Music (when the hunting horn first appeared alongside more widely acknowledged "serious" instruments), and chats with many of the world's leading performers, as well as Holly Hunter and Ewan McGregor who, like Rees, played the instrument in their youth. Rees's self-assigned quest turns into an amiable romp with quiet bits of inspiration. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
British journalist Rees recounts his quixotic attempt to develop sufficient skill on the French horn (after 22 years away from the instrument) to perform a Mozart concerto at the annual British Horn Society Festival. In much the same fashion that George Plimpton chronicled a tryout with the Detroit Lions in Paper Lion, Rees explains just how hard it is to operate at a professional level; yet, his performance at the festival was certainly more of a success than Plimpton's famous scrimmage. Along the way, Rees imparts the history of the horn, describes life in a horn camp in New Hampshire, hobnobs with great horn players around the world, and expounds generally on the lore of the instrument. He writes in an engaging style, and much of the charm resides in his struggle to discipline himself for a goal largely aesthetic. While not as consistently delightful as Catherine Drinker Bowen's classic book on amateur musicianship, Friends and Fiddlers, this is a great read for all amateur musicians and all lovers of the French horn. Recommended.-Bruce R. Schueneman, Texas A&M Univ. Lib., Kingsville (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Book Review
How a middle-aged man recovered his love for music by taking up the French horn again. Rees, a seasoned journalist, decided after decades of musical inactivity to bring his instrument out of hiding and promptly joined the British Horn Society. Though barely able to provoke a noise from it, he was so awed by the horn's legacy and the camaraderie among players that he vowed to return to the Society in a year's time and play a challenging solo. In pursuit of this goal, he became obsessed with classical music, especially horn music, and built an enviable collection within a matter of weeks. He stalked renowned horn players after their concerts and even convinced one of them to give him lessons. Throughout the experience, he clung to his dented old L"dl, a limited student instrument that a succession of professional musicians dismissed as beneath notice. By way of explaining his growing fascination, Rees weaves into his tale a robust account of the horn's role in history, from crumbler of the walls of Jericho to harbinger of trompe de chasse, but always the orchestra's outsider. He includes a meticulously researched chronicle of famous works for horn, though, fortunately for the book's tempo, there are very few of these. His embouchure may have softened, but his years as a journalist have honed the author's storytelling muscles and tightened his comic timing. It is difficult not to admire his chutzpah in setting such a high goal for himself and in striving to achieve it despite the hurdles and fairly reasonable scoffs of his detractors. The author laughs loudest at his own hilarious foibles, and it is his doggedly self-deprecating humor that makes the book worthwhile. A delight for any reader with a passing interest in music and a sense of humor. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* After 22 years without blowing a note, British journalist Rees dusts off his old French horn to play at the British Horn Society's annual festival. The experience inspires Rees to return to the festival the next year to perform solo, a task so fraught with ear-splitting notes and emotional torment that every major horn player in the world advises the 40-year-old student to find a safer midlife crisis. But Rees is determined. He immerses himself not only in the horn repertoire but also in the entire history of the instrument, an expedition that takes him from aristocratic hunting grounds to the concert hall, to Hollywood and Darth Vader's funeral. He seeks out top horn players in Europe and the U.S. for their perspectives on this devilish coil of metal, and locks himself away for countless hours of practice in an attempt to master Mozart's Third Horn Concerto, K. 447. Rees records his journey with impeccable research and a sharp wit, weaving together his first lessons as a youth with those of adulthood, all the while reliving the horn's long history in a musical and literary achievement. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.
Library Journal Reviews
British journalist Rees recounts his quixotic attempt to develop sufficient skill on the French horn (after 22 years away from the instrument) to perform a Mozart concerto at the annual British Horn Society Festival. In much the same fashion that George Plimpton chronicled a tryout with the Detroit Lions in Paper Lion, Rees explains just how hard it is to operate at a professional level; yet, his performance at the festival was certainly more of a success than Plimpton's famous scrimmage. Along the way, Rees imparts the history of the horn, describes life in a horn camp in New Hampshire, hobnobs with great horn players around the world, and expounds generally on the lore of the instrument. He writes in an engaging style, and much of the charm resides in his struggle to discipline himself for a goal largely aesthetic. While not as consistently delightful as Catherine Drinker Bowen's classic book on amateur musicianship, Friends and Fiddlers, this is a great read for all amateur musicians and all lovers of the French horn. Recommended.—Bruce R. Schueneman, Texas A&M Univ. Lib., Kingsville
[Page 68]. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.Publishers Weekly Reviews
Rees, a London journalist, decided to face his midlife crisis by picking up the French horn—an instrument he hadn't played since he was a teenager—and whip himself back into shape so he could play a Mozart concerto in front of an audience in just one year. Luckily, he had one of England's best horn players to give him lessons, but it was still an uphill battle—for starters, the concerto was composed in the key of E flat, but the horn was tuned to F, so Rees (like every performer before him) had to transpose the notes down a tone as he played along. Along the way, he recounts the instrument's colorful history, including a playful recreation of the first performance of Handel's Water Music (when the hunting horn first appeared alongside more widely acknowledged "serious" instruments), and chats with many of the world's leading performers, as well as Holly Hunter and Ewan McGregor who, like Rees, played the instrument in their youth. Rees's self-assigned quest turns into an amiable romp with quiet bits of inspiration. (Dec.)
[Page 48]. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.