This may be in vain, because the brass section of the forum seems, well, lightly-used . I do know that there are at least four current or past hornists who post regularly, and I bet more of you are lurking.

Anyway, my kick off question - what are the best bits of horn writing in the orchestral repertoire, either to play or to listen to? Could be a solo, quartet, or just a fantastic part of horn writing in the overall texture of the music.

The thought sprang to my mind while I was listening to Malcolm Arnold's symphony number 2 on the train this morning. There is a wonderful and haunting horn solo at the end of the third movement. Other treasures include:

• The opening of Bruckner 4
• The opening of Mahler 3 (8 or 9 horns in unison and nothing else!)
• The trio second in the third movement of the Eroica
• The solo in the second movement of Tchaik 5 that sounds a bit like "Annie's Song"

I could go on, but would be most interested to read your contributions.

Jon

Brahms 2nd Symphony (near end of first movement)
Mahler 5th Symphony (especially 3rd movement)
Dvorak cello concerto (first movement I think)
Strauss Til Eulenspeigl (opening)
Schumann Konzertstuck (if that counts!)

for a start.

Chris

Yes that a great horn solo in Dvorak Cello Conc, yes, its the second subject in the first movement, a good few minutes from the start , as there a long intro before even the 'cello comes in.

As a listener I would add:
Borodin 2nd symph, also ov. to Prince Igor
Dvorak 7 symph
Opening of Brahms pno conc no 2.
What about ov. to Freischutz and also Nocturne from Midsummer Night's Dream?
Oh and lovely bit in the St Anthony variations - really small but lovely.
But THE most tingle-factor moment for me is a short phrase towards the end of the first section of the R Strauss serenade.

I'm one of the ex-horn players...

All of Mahler 5 - especially the obbligato. This has special significance for me as it was the last thing I played as principal horn in my college orchestra, a few days before graduation.

The rest of the Mahler symphonies...

Stravinsky - Rite Of Spring and Firebird, especially the one at the end of the Berceuse. That still either gives me chills or nightmares depending on whether I am thinking about listening to it, or playing it. It is a really nasty note to enter on because it is C# which is always hard to start clean, and you have 5 minutes of silence before it.

All of the Brahms symphonies, these win for overall horn writing - the individual parts are not that interesting except for the 1st / 3rd horn solos, but all together - wow.

And the Wagner Siegfried Idyll. That was the first ever big horn part I ever played. Split a fair few notes too

Oddly enough I don't really like the 4th horn solo in Beethoven's 9th. It's nice to listen to, but it never really did that much for me as a horn player.

Also "Oberon".

Every Brahms Symphony has great horn parts.

Great moments in many other Strauss works: the big unison theme in "Don Juan"; Overture to "Rosenkavalier"; ending of one of the Four Last Songs; the mad fugue in the last movement of the "Suite" Op. 4.

Beginning of Chaikovsky Symphony 2; several parts of Symphony 4.

Ah yes, I played this a couple of weeks ago and found it trickier than it appeared. Transposition and zero rehearsal didn't help..

I've just remembered the solo in the first mvt of Rachmaninov piano concerto 2. And also the exposed arpeggio near the end of Dvorak 9.

Beginning of Daphnis & Chloe - the offstage horn solo, after which you have something like 8 bars to get back in your seat for the tutti. I remember running across backstage and trying to avoid colliding with first trumpet who was running in the opposite direction (because the conductor wanted us at opposite sides of the stage from where we usually sat). Not easy at the best of times, and even less easy while wearing a long dress and tights, and carrying a horn.

Yes! Not only is there the wonderful first horn solo in the second movement, but my favourite bit is at the end of the first movement where the first and second horns make an understated reprise of the opening theme.

Another one I've just remembered is the second mvt of Bruckner 2 where the horn is accompanied by pizzicato strings. Very effective!

Opening of Hansel & Gretel overture - another example (along with the mendelssohn) of how horns and bassoons really blend well.

i don't know what horn players think of the Quoniam from Bach's B minor mass - I like that one for the bassoon duet rather than the horn solo!

The benefit to the hornist in the B minor mass is that he/she normally gets to go home at the interval.

Ah there are so many great horn moments! I especially agree with the 3rd movement of Mahler 5, and the solos in Dvorak 9 and Tchaik 5.

My favourite moment for the horns is probably the last movement of Mahler 1; in the score Mahler writes something like this:

"The horns are to heard above everything else in the orchestra, even above the trumpets!"

Plus, for the last page or so, the horns get to stand up!

To add

Strauss: Eine alpensinfonie (you can never get enough horn)
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben especially up to the pause
Holst: Jupiter
Mahler's symphonies of course

What about Wagner!!

Any of his Opera horn writing but especially the Siegfried Horn Call

Just resurrecting this thread to smoke out any more horn players who may be around!

More importantly, I am currently learning the first horn part of Shostakovich 5 with one of the amateur orchestras I'm involved with. Usual thing in Shostakovich, you're sitting around doing nothing for ages, and then all of a sudden, something rather difficult or exhausting arises.

This symphony has the widest range I have yet experienced, starting from the E below the bass clef right up to the B above the treble clef. Early days, but I may have to promote this Symphony to my list of favourite orchestral horn parts.

Also a lovely bit in the middle of the (H&G) Dream Pantomime where the horns duet with the oboe.