Music of Jan Bach CD

At 41 minutes, the concerto covers a lot of stylistic territory at expansive length, putting the soloist through his virtuosic paces as he engages in spirited (and, in the central movement, mournful) dialogues with a rhythmically charged orchestra. A hornist himself, Bach knows how to balance the instrument on the high wire of its capabilities. The idiom is tonal, accessible and eclectic, with enough melodic invention and harmonic spice to keep the ear engaged. The Rondo finale is an exuberant jam session for the solo and orchestral horns, accompanied by the rhythmic clapping of their orchestral colleagues.

Written for Bach's fellow NIU faculty member, the accomplished classical and jazz saxophonist Stephen Duke, "Helix" (1983) exploits the solo instrument's double identity to create a frisky, approachable nonet that effectively veers between classical music and third-stream jazz (which fuses characteristics and techniques of classical music with jazz elements).

The two pieces share the CD with Jan Bach's clever little vignettes for flute and horn called "Four Two-Bit Contraptions" (1964) and with the 1982 "French Suite" for solo horn, an essay in extended techniques that probably will prove of greater interest to horn players than general listeners. These composer-supervised performances leave nothing to be desired, while the recordings, made in 2004 and 2005 at various area concert halls and churches, are first-rate as well. All in all, a most enjoyable disc."

John von Rhein, Chicago TribuneApril 28, 2006

Jon Boen has served as principal horn for the Lyric Opera of Chicago since 1979, a position he secured at the age of 22. In addition, he is principal horn for the Grant Park Orchestra, Music of the Baroque, and the Chicago Philharmonic--with whom he performed and recorded "Music of Jan Bach." In high demand as both a recitalist and orchestra soloist, Jon Boen also is a distinguished teacher, currently serving on the faculty of the DePaul University School of Music in Chicago. For more information, visit jonboen .

Jan Bach has written for virtually every live medium of vocal and instrumental performance. A performer on piano and horn himself, he has received countless grants, awards and commissions, achieving international recognition through professional performances of his music, his publications, and recordings. His works have been nominated six times for a Pulitzer Prize and are performed all over the world. After 36 years as an exemplary teacher, Jan Bach retired from the classroom in 2002. For more information, visit janbach.net.