Orchestral Excerpt Checklist

Specific excerpts frequently requested at auditions which every advanced horn player should know well.

John Ericson

An in-depth knowledge of all the works below is certainly the larger goal. I would suggest working on the entire parts of these works, if possible, but to lend focus to what to work on the specific excerpts listed below are among the most commonly requested at auditions for orchestral performing positions in the USA. To prepare for actual performance however more must be learned from these works than the brief selections given below.

Works marked with a "+" are among the most important works for horn players to know well and are requested the most frequently at orchestral auditions; they should be worked to a very highly polished state. The most essential audition excerpts to prepare in these important works are marked with a "*".

Please also read my article "A New ICSOM Audition List Survey" in the October, 2002 issue of The Horn Call. The below selections are based on the results of this survey. For a one page summary/excerpt checklist based on this survey also please check the ASU Horn Excerpt Checklist (PDF file).

Beethoven: Fidelio Overture

  • Opening duet and solo, horn 2

+Beethoven: Symphony No. 3

  • Mvt. I, horn 2 solo at end of development section
  • Mvt. I, section in F, horn 1
  • Scherzo Trio, horn 1 and horn 2*
  • FF melody at F in Finale, horn 1
  • Coda of Finale, horns 1, 2, and 3

Beethoven: Symphony No. 6

  • Mvt. III, solo passage after A, horn 1
  • Mvt. V, opening solo, horn 1

+Beethoven: Symphony No. 7

  • Mvt. I, opening "octaves" passage, horns 1 and 2
  • Mvt. I, opening of Allegro, horns 1* and 2*
  • Mvt. I, conclusion, horns 1* and 2
  • Mvt. II, horn 2 solo
  • Mvt. III, horn 2 solo after 181 ("Jaws" section)*
  • Mvt. IV, conclusion, horn 1

Beethoven: Symphony No. 8

  • Trio of Menuetto, horns 1 and 2

+Beethoven: Symphony No. 9

  • Mvt. III, horn 4 solo*
  • "The rest of the page", horn 4

Brahms: Symphony No. 1

  • Mvt. II, horn 1 solo
  • Mvt. III, horns 3 and 4 in H
  • Mvt. IV, call at B, horn 1

Brahms: Symphony No. 2

  • Mvt. I, opening, horns 1, 2, 3, 4
  • Mvt. I, horn 1 solo at end of mvt.
  • Mvt. II, horn 1 solo in H [B-natural]

Brahms: Symphony No. 3

  • Mvt. I, horn 1 solo
  • Mvt. III, horn 1 solo

+Brahms: Symphony No. 4

  • Mvt. I, 1*, 2, 3*, and 4th horn soloistic lines
  • Mvt. II, first and third horn solos

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4

  • Opening passage, horn 1
  • Scherzo, horns 1, 2, 3, 4

Mahler: Symphony No. 1

  • Mvt. I, opening duet, horns 1 and 2
  • Mvt. I, fanfare passage, all parts
  • Mvt. II, no. 4-5, horn 1
  • Mvt. II, no. 14-16, horn 1
  • Mvt. II, no. 26 to end, horn 1
  • Mvt. III, no. 13-15, horns 2, 4, and 6
  • Mvt. IV, fanfare passages, all parts
  • Mvt. IV, no. 51-59, horn 1

Mahler: Symphony No. 5, Corno Obligato part [Mvt. III]

  • Opening to 2
  • 10-11
  • Passage at 12
  • Passage before 15-after 16
  • 21-22
  • 27-after 30
  • 31-end

+Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

  • Mvt. I, low excerpt, horn 1/2* and 3/4*
  • Mvt. I, tutti excerpt
  • Mvt. I, high excerpt, horn 1*
  • Mvt. II, soloistic horn passage, horn 1 and 2
  • Mvt. IV, low E passage, all parts

+Strauss: Don Juan

  • Opening to C, horn 1, 2, 3, 4
  • Lyrical solo, bottom of page 1, horn 1
  • Call in F*
  • Chromatic passage before S, horn 1
  • Call in E*
  • Z to Cc, horn 1, 2, 3, 4

+Strauss: Ein Heldenleben [this is a basic level of study for this work only]

  • Opening, horn 1*
  • Tutti passage, 78-80

+Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel

  • Opening, horn 1*
  • After 9 to 11, horn 1
  • 28 to 30, horns 1 and 3
  • 32 to 37, horn 1
  • Passage at 37, horns 1 and 2
  • Epilog, horn 1

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4

  • Mvt. I, opening passage, horns 1, 2, 3, 4
  • Mvt. I, passage at J, horn 1
  • Mvt. I, 1st and 2nd horn passage before R

+Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5

  • Mvt. II, solo, horn 1*

+Wagner: Das Rheingold Prelude

  • Opening, horn 4* or 8*

Wagner: Siegfried's Rhein Journey [Gotterdammerung]

  • The "Short Call"

Weber: Der Freischutz Overture

  • Opening, horns 1, 2, 3, 4

In my own teaching I would expect to see a performance major serious about attempting a career teaching and playing the horn to at a minimum be very familiar with all of the above passages by the end of their senior year, with hopefully a deeper level of study than these basic excerpts. At the graduate level, an even broader knowledge of all of these works (and most certainly other orchestral literature) will be necessary for auditions; the next level of works I would want to see students study as a preparation for auditions (and the parts to focus upon) if familiar with the above include:

  • Bach: B Minor Mass (horn 1)
  • Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 (horns 1, 2)
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 (horn 1)
  • Berlioz: Queen Mab Scherzo (horn 3)
  • Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 (horn 3)
  • Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 (horn 3)
  • Brahms: Variations on a Theme of Haydn (horn 2)
  • Dvorak: Symphony No. 9, (New World--all parts)
  • Haydn: Symphony No. 31 (Horn Signal--horns 1, 2)
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (all parts)
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 9 (horns 1, 2)
  • Mendelssohn: Nocturne from Midsummer Night's Dream (horn 1)
  • Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 (horn 3)
  • Mozart: Symphony No. 25 (horn 2)
  • Mozart: Symphnoy No. 29 (horns 1, 2)
  • Mozart: Symphony No. 40 (horns 1, 2)
  • Ravel: Pavanne (horn 1)
  • Schumann: Symphony No. 3 (horns 1, 3)
  • Prokofiiev: Romeo and Juliet (horns 2, 4)
  • Ravel: Daphnis and Chloe (horns 1, 4)
  • Ravel: Piano Concerto in G (horn 1)
  • Rossini: Semiramide Overture (all parts)
  • Saint Saens: Symphony No. 3 (Organ--horn 3)
  • Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C (Great--horn 2)
  • Strauss: Don Quixote (horns 2, 4)
  • Stravinsky: Firebird (horn 1)
  • Wagner: Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin (all horns)
  • Wagner: "Long Call" (Siegfried--horn 1)

Given even more time to study, the following would also be worthy works to learn in depth. Parts to focus on are again highlighted.

  • Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture (horn 4)
  • Brahms: Tragic Overture (horn 4)
  • Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 (horn 1)
  • Dvorak: Cello Concerto (horn 1)
  • Franck: Symphony in D minor (horn 1)
  • Liszt: Les Preludes (horn 4)
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 4 (horn 1)
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 7 (horn 1)
  • Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition (horn 1)
  • Rimsky Korsakov: Scherezade (horn 1)
  • Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony No. 1 (all parts)
  • Strauss: Symphonia Domestica (horn 4)
  • Stravinsky: Fairy's Kiss (horn 1)
  • Stravinsky: Rite of Spring (horn 4)
  • Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (horn 4)
  • Wagner: Prelude to Lohengrin, Act 2 (horn 2)
  • Wagner: Die Meistersinger (all parts)
  • Weber: Oberon Overture (horn 1)

Copyright John Ericson. All rights reserved.

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