Wagner: Siegfried’s Horn Call

As a former horn player, I can vouch for the fact that what’s on the video below doesn’t come naturally or easily. French Horn is a treacherous instrument in part because it is pitched high in the overtone series. If that doesn’t mean much to you, let’s just say it’s all in the lip and not in the fingers, more so as the notes get higher. Horn players live on the edge.

But this series is not about instruments. It’s about learning repertoire, and Richard Wagner (1813-1883) carved out a huge spot for himself in opera repertoire. You really can’t deal effectively with the subject of opera and leave Wagner out of the discussion. And Wagner is the composer people love to hate. Some of that has to do with his personality traits. You probably would not have wanted to work for him, or live next door to him, or be seated next to him on an airplane. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about any of those things happening.

Some of the resistance to Wagner has to do with his music. It’s big, complex, lengthy, and dense. People who recognize Wagner’s mastery don’t always appreciate the result. Mark Twain quipped, “Wagner’s music is better than it sounds.”

Without question, Wagner understood drama very well. When you have the time to get involved in the drama—not in short excerpts of his music—you can start to appreciate the incredible force behind his music. Of course, it’s best experienced live, but you can get caught up in it easily with some uninterrupted time, good speakers or headphones, and a copy of the libretto.

Wagner also liked lots of brass, so naturally, brass players tend to enjoy playing Wagner. Siegfried’s horn call occurs in Act 2, Scene 2, of the opera Siegfried.