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Anyone else is a fan of French Horns? (The official French Horn thread)


Edmilson

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French horns are one of my favorite orchestral instruments. I don't play this instrument, but I always love when its used by a composer in a dramatic score.

 

For example, this bit in JNH's The Village:

 

 

This bit (0:55 to 1:18) in JNH's The Emperor's Club combines the French horn with strings and another one of my favorite orchestral instruments - the oboe.

 

 

In the same score, there's also this touching part for FHs, woodwinds and strings:

 

 

The French Horn is a highlight of Williams' Ann and Gabriel, one of the best tracks from The Patriot OST (2:18 to 2:44 and 2:54 to 3:28):

 

 

Horner also used the instrument and solemn strings to represent the European settlers in The New World:

 

 

And who can forget the French Horn that opens the Jurassic Park theme?

 

 

Anyway, these are just some of my favorite French horn performances in film scores. Post down below your favorites as well!

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34 minutes ago, Joe Brausam said:

There are a few of us horn players on the forums here :)

 

Really? That's great! I've heard that it is a pretty difficult instrument to play, is it true?

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Such a versatile instrument!  Here heard at 14:37 with those powerful repeated low unison notes doubled with tuba.  A technique frequently used by Jerry Goldsmith.

 

This great too! Horns at 1:00

 

 

And of course, one of the greatest ever use of six antiphonal horns placed around the stage.  The inspiration to Goldenthal's Horn trills.  Remember, if you heard this in concert, each horn staggers there entry from opposite ends of the hall.  So imagine this onslaught coming at you from every direction!  Then a few seconds later they are instructed to play a repeated note as fast as possible!  Electrifying and terrifying electricity!

 

 

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Youtube overload!

 

I like horns fine enough when I'm in the mood for it, but brass isn't my favourite instrument group. They're often a bit 'sharp' and invasive for my current sensibilities. I lean more towards woodwinds. Or piano. Calm and soothing. The calmer and softer, the better.

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Most of the examples I posted above don't use the horn as something epic and powerful. I prefer when the FH is used in a calmer, more melancholic score, as it gives a whole new texture to the music. It's what JNH (and occasionally Williams) do with the instrument in their dramatic scores.

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8 hours ago, Omen II said:

I love how Dimitri Tiomkin uses the horns almost as if they are chiming bells at the end The Big Sky (the video should start just before the bit I mean).

 

 

 

He's such an amazingly versatile composer! 

 

On 3/18/2021 at 4:15 PM, Marian Schedenig said:

Also also also timestamped:

 

 

Some fine examples but isn't that Gotterdammerung example the Wagner Tuben are we considering that as horn?  There is a case to be made that it is a horn too but I'd argue it isn't a horn but a hybrid instrument. 

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14 hours ago, karelm said:

Some fine examples but isn't that Gotterdammerung example the Wagner Tuben are we considering that as horn?  There is a case to be made that it is a horn too but I'd argue it isn't a horn but a hybrid instrument. 

 

That's why I posted a version with score, because I wasn't 100% sure myself. It lists 8 horns without specifying Wagnertuben (it also says "Alle 8 Hörner ohne Dämpfer", i.e. unmuted, on the previous page), so I assume it's regular horns. I'm also *quite* sure I remember seeing horns whenever I heard this live (always a bit shaky, but I guess that's the price you have to pay for Viennese horns in such a long work).

 

That's the Solti recording with the Wiener Philharmoniker, by the way, so perhaps it's the special Viennese horn sound that threw you off.

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  • 1 month later...

I was listening to Goldsmith's The Mummy, and it has one of the most powerful uses of French horns that I ever seen in a major Hollywood score. Actually, the whole brass section feels larger than usual. 

 

This reminds me of current composers of today, like Junkie, who always tries to make a huge and powerful brass sections, but it ends up being a little synth-y and is tiresome to listen. They should be inspired by Jerry, who knew how to make a huge brass section feel authentic and epic.

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  • 1 month later...

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