As a former horn player, Sigfried’s theme, Til euilenspiegel, Tchaikovsky 4 (the opening), and the chorus from Mahler’s 1st, and any or the Gabrielli Canzoni, are near the tippy top of the musical food chain.....for french horn!
Yeah, left some stuff out, but the initial meme is Herr Wagner...
KYPD
French horn? Don’t forget the Largo of Dvorak’s 9th!
Me too. Did you ever play “Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral”? Unbelievable. Starts softly and the whole piece is one gradual crescendo. At the end you are blowing your heart out.
and the chorus from Mahler’s 1st”
Mahler’s 2nd, maybe (or 8th)?
A long time ago a friend told me this story, but I have not been able to confirm it:
One of Wagner’s french horn players came to him and said, “Herr Wagner, we can’t play the part you have written.”
Wagener replled, “I know you can’t. What I want is the effect of your trying to play it!”