by Ian Zook
Volume 11—Lowell Greer
This month’s featured album, An Odyssey of Horn Literature, dates from Lowell Greer’s early career and highlights his broad range of musical tastes. Greer is well known for his benchmark recordings of natural horn repertoire on both Harmonia Mundi and L’oiseau Lyre labels—including works by Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms—which established a standard for the sound concept and style of modern natural horn playing. What a treat it is then to explore his valve horn recordings on vinyl!
Lowell Greer (1950-2022) was a Wisconsin native who studied with John Barrows at the University of Wisconsin before moving to Chicago to continue his studies with Frank Brouk, Helen Kotas, Ethel Merker, and Dale Clevenger. His orchestral engagements included Assistant Principal with the Detroit Symphony, and then Principal horn positions with the Mexico City Philharmonic, Antwerp Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, and finally the Toledo Symphony. During this period, he was also an active soloist and winner of multiple international competitions, all achieved while concurrently teaching at prestigious institutions including the University of Cincinnati, the University of Michigan, and the Carl Nielsen Academy in Denmark.
In tandem with his superlative performance career, Lowell Greer was regarded by all who met him as a true ambassador for the horn’s history and music. His knowledge of everything regarding horn and his enthusiastic mentoring of students was always on display at regional workshops and international symposia, as well as at the music camps he frequented including the Kendall Betts Horn Camp, the National Music Festival, and many others. The International Horn Society honored Lowell’s accomplishments with the Punto Award in 2008 and inducted him as an Honorary Member in 2014.
Let’s dive into the album! An Odyssey of Horn Literature was recorded in 1980 with pianist Arvi Sinka on the Coronet label, a small boutique studio based in Columbus, Ohio. Lowell programs several short recital pieces and convincingly displays his artistry by drawing the essential elements of style and character from each of these varied works.
Jean Françaix’s charming Divertimento requires fleet register changes and technique, all while maintaining a light and effervescent sound. Greer’s precise use of flutter-tonguing, trills, and crisp articulations accentuate this humorous romp as the piece closes:
Jongen’s Lied is the least known work on the album. Greer weaves this rhapsodic melody with ample sustain and careful balance with the piano texture:
Greer takes a more rugged approach in Kvandal’s weighty Introduction & Allegro. This music has rhythmically active dialogue between the horn and piano, and Greer widens his tone and articulation style to capture the sounds of struggle and heroism:
Rossini’s grand showpiece, Prelude, Theme and Variations, is a dazzling display of Greer’s virtuosity. The velocity of his performance is striking, with incredible dexterity and a meticulous articulation clarity that creates a thrilling charge to the final cadence!
This album is a wonderful collection of recital favorites, each one given a refined interpretation by this great master of the instrument. We hope you’ve enjoyed An Odyssey of Horn Literature, and thank you for reading Horn on Record!
