If you love the sound of German-Romantic horns, this album is for you. Topped and tailed by two miniatures for a quartet of alphorns, this is an entertaining programme of pieces for three, four, eight or – in the arrangements of Strauss – nine horns. The works featured trace the progression of horns in groups or as a section from the natural instruments written for by Antoine Reicha in his 24 Trios for three horns (composed and published before 1815) to the modern valved instruments deployed by Munich-resident Greek composer Konstantia Gourzi (b1962) in her newly commissioned tone poem for horn octet, Voyager 2 (2022), which she conducts here.

The range of sonority Gourzi requires from her ensemble is wider than in any of the other works, including syllabic chanting and breathing. The result is a richly evocative sonic tapestry in seven sections, playing continuously, of no mean musical interest. Strauss’s Second Concerto (1942) transfers very convincingly to the all-horn format, made by one of the group’s principal players, Pascal Deuber, although it is Johannes Dengler who takes the solo role, Deuber leading the ‘orchestra’. Even more compelling, however, is the Daphne-Fantasie, built of themes and motifs from Strauss’s 1938 opera; the selection, though, and overall setting are Deuber’s, so he should really receive the composer credit, not just as arranger.

If the five other works operate on a less elevated level, they can still enchant the ear. The subset of Reicha’s Trios make for more than just tonal and textural contrast, as do the framing alphorn quartets by Hans-Jürg Sommer (b1950) and Urs Vierlinger (b1964). Waldlied by Oskar Franz (1843-86) provides a taste of German Romanticism that was not Weber or Schumann, and here leads intriguingly into the gentle, more neoclassical Pavane from Dubois’s 1962 Quartet. The 11 members of Munich Opera Horns – joined by Fabian Schroder in Voyager 2 – play with great finesse and BSO Recordings’ sound is exemplary.