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. ...[more]
Solos and Groups - Horns
Horn solos from the orchestral repertoire.
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Manuel de Falla - El Sombrero de Tres Picos (The Three-cornered Hat), Farruca - High horn solo (note pizzicato Violins 2 assisting accents).
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Manuel de Falla - El Amor Brujo (Love the Magician), Danza Rituel del Fuego (Ritual Fire Dance) - Stopped and unstopped horns, with trumpets, decorated by strings and woodwind.
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Mahler - Symphony No 5 - Open horns alternating with stopped horns (accompanied by clarinets, bassoons, violas and cellos).
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Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring - Stopped horns.
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Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring - Horn cuivré.
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Mahler - Symphony No 4 - High horn solo accompanied by strings pizzicato and harp.
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Mahler - Symphony No 4 - A high horn figure followed by the same figure on low horns ending on an extreme low E (concert).
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Mahler - Symphony No 4 - The high horn carries the main melody, but there is a countermelody in Violin 1 which eventually takes over, plus decoration in the woodwind.
Solos and Groups - Trombones
Trombone solos from the orchestral repertoire.
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Gustav Holst - The Planets: Saturn - Trombone trio (accompanied by low strings pizzicato).
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Stravinsky - Petrouchka - Trombones.
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Mahler - Symphony No 5 - Trombone Trio.
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Mahler - Symphony No 5 - Trombone solo leading into a horn led tutti.
Other Combinations and Tuttis
Examples of brass instruments in combination with other instruments and examples of the whole brass section playing together.
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Elgar - Symphony No 1 - A countermelody in horns, trumpets and trombones.
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Holst - The Planets: Uranus - Brass in octaves.
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Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring - 8 horns (with bassoons and low strings), punctuated by ww, strings and timps.
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Mahler - Symphony No 4 - A falling acccented string phrase, leads to a melody on horn, decorated by flute and brass.