COLORS OF THE FRENCH HORN • Szabolcs Zempléni (hn); Péter Nagy (pn) • OC 789 (64:46) R. STRAUSS Andante. SCHUMANN 3 Romances. ROSSINI Prelude, Theme,...

COLORS OF THE FRENCH HORN • Szabolcs Zempléni (hn); Péter Nagy (pn) • OC 789 (64:46)

R. STRAUSS Andante. SCHUMANN 3 Romances. ROSSINI Prelude, Theme, and Variations. FRANCAIX Divertimento. POULENC Elegy. V. D. KIRCHNER 3 Poemi

"Thirty-year-old Hungarian-born Szabolcs Zempléni is a multi-prize winner, including at the prestigious ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 2005. It is not hard to understand why. He plays the instrument with seemingly the greatest of ease, he is a fine musician, and he imbues each work on his recital with stylish finesse. His program consists mostly of pieces well known to horn players. The exception is the Tre Poemi by Volker David Kirchner (b.1942): hauntingly beautiful, often delicate, sometimes disturbing explorations of horn tones—some played open, some muted—blown into the open grand piano, resulting in a fascinating array of echo effects and resonances."

FANFARE: Robert Markow

Hungarian hornist Szabolcs Zempleni, has performed with the Bamberger Symphoniker. He has won many European awards and brings forth a beautiful lyric tone, achieving dark velvety colors in the lower range and full, bright tones in the upper range, with a purity that avoids excessive vibrato. Accompanist Peter Nagy plays with sensitivity and the piano tone on this CD has clarity and roundness, blending beautifully with the horn.

- Greg La Traille, ArkivMusic.com

"Szabolcs Zempléni was standing on stage with such kind naivety, that we might think that blowing a horn is not such a big deal. But it is a big deal. Especially the way he does it. The sound of his horn is caressing our ears; watching and listening are both an experience."

- Momus Musikportal