Alfred Edwin Brain Jr

Alfred Edwin Brain Jr, was a member of the renowned Brain dynasty of horn players. He played in the Scottish Orchestra, the London Symphony and New Queen’s Hall Orchestra and was the founding horn player of the London Wind Quintette. In 1922 Brain emigrated to the US, playing in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as playing in Hollywood orchestras for numerous film soundtracks.
Pierné – Pastorale
Scarlatti – Andante and Allegro (from Suite)
London Wind Quintette:
Robert Murchie, flute
Leon Goossens, oboe
Haydn Draper, clarinet
Wilfred James, bassoon
Alfred Edwin Brain Jr, horn

Pierné – Pastorale – London Wind Quintette
Scarlatti – Andante and Allegro – London Wind Quintette

(mp3 files – click to play, or right click the link, then select “Save as”)

 Edison Bell Velvet Face 515
Matrices X1147H-2, X1148H-1
Recorded 1922
Play at about 83.6rpmThe Scarlatti pieces are arrangements of the Sonata in D minor K9/L413 transposed to E minor, and Sonata in G minor K450/L38 in its original key.The Pierné Pastorale is No.1 from Album pour mes petits amis Op.14, in its original key of A minor. Bars 35-80 are repeated, presumably so that record was filled out to a reasonable duration.

The discography given in Carole Rosen’s “The Goossens – A Musical Century” names Frederick Salkeld as the horn player, with a recording date of 1923. However, the record labels clearly state A.E. Brain. Brain left the UK in August 1922, playing in the NYPO, LAPO and was heard on numerous film soundtracks. His date of emigration and the matrix numbers on the record suggest a 1922 recording date.
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