大象传媒

As part of the International Day of People with Disabilities, the German French horn player Felix Klieser introduces the first of three programmes all about his instrument. He looks at how it works, how to play it, and how it has changed over the years, as well as how it has shaped his own life. Felix was born without arms, and has become one of the world's most in-demand French horn soloists, wowing 大象传媒 Proms audiences earlier this year. He's also a prolific recording artist.

In this first episode he talks about some of the French horn players who have influenced him, celebrating their unique and different sounds. He also demonstrates how to play French horn without an instrument, and delves into the horn's early history as a device for relaying 'signals' over long distances, before being incorporated into the orchestra by baroque composers such as Handel, back when the instrument was still known as the 'Corno da caccia', or 'hunting horn'.

Felix also introduces chamber music by Schubert, a showpiece by Weber, and French horn blockbusters by Mozart and Richard Strauss, alongside lesser-heard gems by Bach, Telemann and Beethoven.