Hermann Baumann

Baumann’s route to the horn was unusually broad. His earliest serious musical experience included singing and jazz drumming, both of which left traces in his later playing: a strong sense of breathing, rhythmic freedom and an insistence that the horn should sing rather than merely project.

At seventeen he turned to the horn and studied with Fritz Huth, one of Germany’s most respected teachers. Baumann then spent twelve years in professional orchestras, including principal positions in Dortmund and, from 1961 to 1967, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra. This orchestral foundation gave his later solo playing exceptional security.

The turning point came in 1964 when he won first prize at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich. From then on Baumann increasingly concentrated on solo work, appearing internationally and recording the central horn repertory. His tone was admired for its vocal quality, secure intonation and unusually smooth transitions between registers.

Baumann’s historical importance also lies in his work with the natural horn. Long before historically informed performance became mainstream, he explored Baroque and Classical repertory on hand horn. His recordings of Mozart with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Concentus Musicus Wien demonstrated that historical instruments could combine stylistic authenticity with virtuoso polish.

Contemporary music occupied an equally important place. Baumann gave the premiere of Ligeti’s Horn Trio and worked with composers who expanded the instrument’s modern language. His ability to move between natural horn, modern horn and new music made his repertorial identity unusually broad.

As professor at Folkwang for nearly three decades, Baumann influenced an international generation of horn players. Even after a severe stroke, he returned to teaching and playing, an episode widely admired within the horn community. His death in 2023 closed a career that had reshaped both historical and modern conceptions of the instrument.