Library Bids on Dennis Brain Horn Music Collection
Only days before the event this past December, Music Library director Geri Laudati learned that Sotheby's, the prestigious London auction house, planned to put the library of horn virtuoso Dennis Brain on its auction block. The collection included hundreds of published scores from his personal library as well as about a dozen manuscript scores written for him. Separated from the collection because of their special merit were additional manuscripts by composers Elisabeth Lutyens and Malcolm Arnold.
The prospect of acquiring the Brain Collection was immediately appealing to both Laudati and horn professor Douglas Hill; little wonder given the strong tradition of horn performance and instruction on the campus combined with the Music Library's extensive holdings of horn literature and recordings in the Blake Horn Collection. However, Sotheby's was projecting the value of the collection somewhere between $3000-5000, and Laudati was rightly concerned about the impact such a purchase would have on the library's limited acquisitions budget.
So, what to do?
Well, when in doubt, request more funds!
Convinced that the Brain Collection was an extraordinary complement to the existing collections, the General Library System administration found money to cover the purchase should the library proffer the winning bid.
OK. Next problem. Fly to London, or what?
Although flying there was Laudati's preference, it was decided to use an agent, John Lubrano the antiquarian dealer, to bid on behalf of the library. Lubrano was also authorized to bid on the Lutyens and/or Arnold manuscripts if unsuccessful with the Brain Collection.
And, ultimately, that is exactly what happened.
While the library lost in its attempt to acquire this significant collection of horn music, it was highly fortunate to acquire the manuscript for the Malcolm Arnold Horn Concerto no. 2.
The Arnold concerto received its first performance by the Hall Orchestra conducted by the composer with Dennis Brain as soloist on July 17, 1957, a mere two weeks prior to Brain's tragic death in an automobile accident.
In a recent conversation with Hill, Barry Tuckwell described the Arnold concerto as a "wonderful piece, a personal piece, with much of Dennis Brain's personality coming through the music." Adding an air of mystery, Tuckwell remembers hearing a recorded performance with Brain as soloist, but no such recording appears in the published Brain discography. Tuckwell also suggested that the manuscript likely contains changes made by Brain.
Other Articles in This Issue
Volunteers Make a Difference | Ragas on Sax and Much More by Matt Appleby | "Not for Pianists" by Mark Rosa | Bountiful Benefactions by Mark Rosa | Imprint: Recent Faculty and Student Publications | Workshops on Music Library Resources | Top 10 Things to Do from the Library Homepage | Spring 1997 Calender