THE ORCHESTRA: A USER'S

MANUAL
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Philharm
onia

BRASS
Solos and
groups:

The traditional line-up of the brasses is: Horns, Trumpets,

Trombones, Tubas. The numbers and combinations of these
instruments vary greatly according to historical period,
geographical location and, of course, composer choice.
Probably the most common orchestral combination is:
4 horns
3 trumpets
3 trombones
1 tuba

Horns
Trumpets
Trombones
Tubas

Other
combinatio
ns and
tuttis

but there are numerous variations on this, including

massively expanded groupings where required.
Horns are often used in combination with woodwind, and
generally have a weaker sound than the other brass. The
convention when writing for four horns is to give high parts to
horns 1 and 3, and low parts to 2 and 4 (with 1 taking the
highest, and 4 taking the lowest). A fifth horn may well be
used even when only four are required by the score, to cover
the less important passages in the Horn 1 part, allowing the
principal to concentrate on important solos. A quartet of
horns will be very effective and unobtrusive when carrying
the harmonic background to a passage.
Use the links on the left to sample various brass scorings
from the Philharmonia's recorded archive.

Solos and groups:

Horns
COMPOSE
R
Gustav
Mahler

Gustav
Mahler

WORK

CD

EXCERP
T

COMMENTS

High horn solo,

Symphony Philharmonia/Zander
>MI
accompanied by
No. 4
Telarc 2CD-80555
b109-111 strings pizzicato
and harp.
A high horn
figure, followed
by the same
Symphony Philharmonia/Zander >MIII 75figure on low
No. 4
Telarc 2CD-80555
76
horns, ending
on an extreme

Stravinsky

of Spring

Sony SK45796

Igor
Stravinsky

The Rite
of Spring

Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SK45796

Gustav
Mahler

Symphony Philharmonia/Zander
No. 5
Telarc 2CD-80569

El Amor
Brujo
(Love the
Magician):
Manuel de
Danza
Falla
rituel del
fuego
(Ritual
Fire
Dance)
El
Sombrero
de Tres
Manuel de Picos (The
Falla
Threecornered
Hat):
Farruca

>bar
before Stopped horns.
Fig. 101

>M3
b.296307

Open horns
alternating with
stopped horns
(accompanied
by clarinets,
bassoons, violas
and cellos).

Philharmonia/Giulini
EMI CDM 69037 2

Stopped and
unstopped
horns, with
>Fig. 34 trumpets
(decorated by
strings and
woodwind).

Philharmonia/Giulini
EMI CDM 69037 2

High horn solo

(note pizzicato
>opening Violins 2
assisting
accents)

Classic horn
Philharmonia/Klempere
writing, using
Ludwig van Symphony
>MIV bb. the harmonic
r
Beethoven
No. 7
231-248
EMI 7 63354 2
series and high
register.
Claude
Debussy

La Mer

Peter
Symphony
Tchaikovsky
No. 5

Philharmonia/Cantelli
Testament SBT 1011
Philharmonia/Muti
EMI CZS 7 67314 2

Back to top
Trumpets

>I Fig. 3

Muted horns in
octaves.

MII

Horn solo with

string
accompaniment
.

COMPOSER

WORK

CD

EXCERPT

COMMENTS

Igor
Stravinsky

The Rite of Philharmonia/Salonen Fig. 132 Muted trumpets

Spring
Sony SK45796
in octaves.

Igor
Stravinsky

Petrouchka Philharmonia/Salonen Fig. 134- Trumpet with

Sony SK573274
139
side drum.

Gustav
Mahler

Symphony Philharmonia/Zander MI b1-12 Trumpet solo.

No. 5
Telarc 2CD-80569

Back to top
Trombones
COMPOSER
Gustav
Mahler
Gustav Holst

Gustav
Mahler
Igor
Stravinsky
Maurice
Ravel

WORK

CD

EXCERPT COMMENTS

Symphony Philharmonia/Zander MI b357- Tombone solo,

No. 5
Telarc 2CD-80569
371
leading into a
horn-led tutti.
The
Planets:
Saturn

Philharmonia/Gardiner
Trombone trio
DG445 860-2
3 after I (accompanied
by low strings
pizzicato),
joined by
trumpet trio.

Symphony Philharmonia/Zander
No. 5
Telarc 2CD-80569

MI b53- Trombone trio.

60

Petrouchka Philharmonia/Salonen Fig. 122- Trombones.

Sony SK573274
123
Bolero

Philharmonia/Maazel
EMI CDE 7 677812

Fig. 10

Trombone.

Back to top
Tubas
COMPOSER

WORK

CD

EXCERPT COMMENTS

Igor
Stravinsky

The Rite of Philharmonia/Salonen Fig. 64-66 Tuba melody.

Spring
Sony SK45796

Igor
Stravinsky

Petrouchka Philharmonia/Salonen Fig. 191 Tuba solo.

Sony SK573274

Gustav Holst

The
Planets:
Mars

Gustav Holst

The

Philharmonia/Gardiner 9-13 after Bass and tenor

DG445 860-2
I
tuba melody.
Philharmonia/Gardiner 3 after IV Tenor tuba

Planets:
Mars

DG445 860-2

solo.

Back to top

Other combinations and tuttis:

COMPOSER

Gustav
Mahler

WORK

CD

Symphony Philharmonia/Zander
No. 4
Telarc 2CD-80555

EXCERPT

COMMENTS

A falling
acccented
string phrase,
leads to a
melody on
MII 154horn, decorated
160
by flute and
brass. But all
this is cut
across by one
muted trumpet.
8 horns (with
bassoons and