Word: alpenhorn
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Haitink's finale constituted nothing less than a triumph. The "alpenhorn" theme flowed majestically through the Shed and Lawn, as did the brass chorale that follows it. Haitink's initial reading of the main theme (the one derived from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony) seemed last at first. The tempo, however, reaped its reward in the development, instead of the usual disconnected and episodic character of that section. Haitink's interpretation was brisk and lively. He could only be faulted for his treatment of the piece's climax--the return of the chorale--which he sprinted through with inappropriate disinterest...
...Other selections: a concerto in which the piano soloist is under the impression that he is supposed to be playing Grieg, while the conductor is concentrating on Tchaikovsky and the orchestra is working on Roll Out the Barrel; a second concerto, written by Mozart's father Leopold for alpenhorn and played on two lengths of garden hose by Britain's distinguished Hornist Dennis Brain; a set of variations for wheezy winds, featuring Hoffnung himself playing a tuba so big that it runs on wheels and requires built-in bellows to supply enough wind...
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