Thread: Favourite french horn moments in symphonic music

Today when I was at my piano workground I encountered horn player and was forced (but eventualy it turned to be pleasure and great experience) to listen to his playing (very clearly despite two closed doors and hallway between us). Then I had conversation with other guy about french horn music and I've realised something:

French horn, at least in my opinion, has pretty weak repertoire. It's magnificent instrument with noble and rich sound but there are very little pieces for it that are real masterpieces of the same caliber as greatest violin or piano concertos.

But horns often get their "five minutes" in non-concertante orchestral music. Tchaikovsky's 5th, Mahler 5th, some Richard Strauss, Wagner (Siegfried's signal and many other short pearls).

Can you think of some other examples?

Shostakovich' second violin concerto has some beautiful horn lines in the Adagio.

How about the brilliant intro to Mahler's 7th.
Dvoraks 8th has some brilliant horn parts, especially in the finale.

I like the horn for its beautifully nostalgic tone in the higher range. But it is so versatile due to its big range. Seems perfect for 'echoe's

I second Tchaikovsky's 5th. But also, the descending seconds in the Romeo and Juliet Overture. They get me everytime.

Yay, I'm a hornist who plays a lot with orchestras so I can comment with some knowledge on the subject.

There are a lot of concerti and chamber works for horn. Not as many as for violin or piano but it is the brass instrument with the most solo music written for it. Here's a short list of great pieces:

Corelli - two sonatas
Telemann - concerto
Mozart - four concerti, horn quintet, concert rondo
Haydn - two concerti
Beethoven - horn sonata
Brahms - horn trio
Schumann - concertpiece for four horns
Saint-Saens - Morceau de Concert
Dukas - Villanelle for Horn and Piano
Strauss - two concerti
Hindermith - concerto


For great horn features in concert music:
Haydn - Symphony 31
Beethoven - symphony 3 (third movement)
Beethoven - symphony 7 (1st and 4th mvt)
Shostakovich - symphony 5 (all movements)
Tchaikovsky - symphony 4 (1st mvt) and 5 (2nd mvt)
Bruckner - symphony 9 (1st mvt)
Brahms - symphony 1 (2nd and 4th mvt) symphony 4 (1st and 2nd mvt) piano concerto 2 (1st mvt)
Copland - symphony 3 (mvt 2 and 4)
Schubert - symphony 9 (1st mvt)
Mendelssohn - Nocturne from MND
Wagner - Lohingrin, all four parts of the Ring
Schumann - Symphony 1 (mvt 2)
Dvorak - symphony 7 8 and 9 (many places)

There's lots more. This is just off the top of my head.

Originally Posted by Art Rock

Shostakovich' second violin concerto has some beautiful horn lines in the Adagio.

His first cello concerto is almost a double concerto for horn and cello. There are many prominent horn solos in all of the movements (except obviously the 3rd which is a cadenza).

While not excessively hard, the beginning of the first movement of Bruckner's Fourth Symphony is both sweet and glorious.

The part for the french horns in Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

...and this of course:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sibbmSroXHc

Absolutely love the horn fanfare that opens Tchaik 4.
-PPP

Originally Posted by emiellucifuge

How about the brilliant intro to Mahler's 7th.

That's not a horn - that's a tenor tuba!

Watch at 1:26

For sheer majesty of a full horn section, it's hard to beat the opening of Mahler's Third Symphony.

The delicate opening to Holst's Venus. This instrument is clearly not all about hunting. I love the distant sound of the horn in this mode.

(Rather, I have assumed all my life this is a "French" horn. Correct me if I am wrong.)

I second Chris' mention of Britten's Serenade. I'm not into Britten's music [at least yet], but that one has me hooked.

One of my favorite moments of Mahler's 1st symphony is at the end, where the horns all stand up and blare out the opening motif, like here at 6:43.

Originally Posted by Delicious Manager

For sheer majesty of a full horn section, it's hard to beat the opening of Mahler's Third Symphony.

Majestic is the word, indeed.

Mahler Symphony No.4 first movement - near the start of the development - best horn solo ever!!!