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French horn player Felix Klieser introduces the second 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 ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms audiences earlier this year. He's also a prolific recording artist.

In this second episode, he focusses on the development of the modern instrument, with the addition of keys to extend its musical range. He tells how Robert Schumann embraced the new developments, while Johannes Brahms felt that the older, ‘natural’ horn was a much more expressive instrument. Felix also asks the question, ‘is the French horn a brass or woodwind instrument?’ and celebrates its versatility in chamber music, as an accompaniment to a singer, a solo instrument with piano, or part of the established wind quintet, as well as listening to some of the French horn’s finest moments as an instrument in the orchestra.

There’s music from Mahler and Bruckner’s symphonies, chamber music by Brahms, Richard Strauss and Anton Reicha, and the famous concert piece for four French horns and orchestra by Robert Schumann.