If heaven had a horn solo... 

The french horn is the mighty invisible ghost in orchestration, proven when it plays solo. Fantastic.

The story goes, that Strauss, as a baby, would smile when he heard the horn, and cry when he heard the violin.

Richard Strauss' father was one of the great horn players of his era and the love of that horn sound has always shined through in his writing.

Eric Terwilliger is fantastic in this but then again, he always was. While it's sad that he has retired, his work as a teacher will hopefully see a new generation of wonderful musicians develop under his guidance.

Of all the great Strauss Horn solos (not to mention a couple of great Concertos), this has to be my favorite.

The finest brass instrument to ever grace the ear drums of humanity. ❤

The second movement, this movement, is easy to make a beautiful sound and Eric does this wonderfully. But for a 1st horn, the Four Last Songs is all about getting through the 3rd mvmt - that is the hardest 7 minutes I have ever and will ever endure as a horn player. Stunningly beautiful, daunting, harrowing and technically so taxxing, the accuracy, the intonation while holding a long high note .... the heart beats a little quicker let me be honest!

that was beautiful Will.

This is not just a wonderful piece of music. It is, I believe, at the same time as the foreboding of the approaching end, the composer's loving farewell to the memory of his father, the horn player, and thus perhaps to music itself, which he had learned to love through his father.

Heaven has a bunch of horn solos, of which this is one. Beautiful.

Whenever I hear this beautiful Strauss music, I must remember the beloved Jessye Norman's performance of his immortal lieder.

I want to thank you, Will, for showing me this beautiful piece. It has quickly become one of my favorite classical pieces ever.

I love the horn, obviously, but Diana is heaven's choirmaster

I had to stop playing French horn twenty-two years ago, but still remember everything I learned in those thirty years... I have sometimes wondered what Mozart's thoughts might be if he could have heard (and seen) the opening passage of Strauss's second horn concerto, how the fully chromatic instrument takes a phrase which is made up of natural harmonics flowing through different keys.

Eric Terwilliger...such a legend.

RIP, maestro! I will miss your Berlioz Symphony performed in Moscow..... 🙏and many many of greatest Performances...

That horn sounds like heaven and Diana sounds like an actual angel

Eric Terwilliger ❤ best horn player

The four last songs are absolutely gorgeous. There aren’t too many things that come close imo.

the whole of vier lezte lieder is a glimpse of heaven.

Funny, I always felt that this is one of the most beautiful moments in classical music. And now I see that others think the same way...

I think the horn solo from Mondscheinmusik for his opera Capriccio is even more sublime.

Beautiful all around. Strauss can be trusted to lean on the horn players.

“Heaven had a horn solo” straight away thought of 4 last songs 🌅💕😩 beautiful!

Professor Eric! beautiful playing!

Last Songs indeed. Strauss must've been pretty damn chuffed with these last ones.What a glorious goodbye.

00:00 When heaven is set to music.

My favorite moment in the Four Last Songs. ❤

Nothing inthe classical repertoire can compare with Strauss’s horn solos for closing scenes: Alpinesymphony, Heldenleben💥💥

Somehow I was intrigued by his breathing. He almost propelles the air inwards and relaxes just enough to let it trough. But his mouth is already preparing for the next note. Fascinating.

This really gives me a feel of a love story that is based during times of war and its either a love at first sight or the end of the war after the soldier comes home to his lover and they see eachother for the first time in like acouple years

One of my favorite moments in the Four Last Songs.

Such greatness and skill in playing this instrument, congratulations!

Thank you, Will Parker! Man of taste! Godspeed!

That solo must feel so good to play.

Fantastic! Thank you.

I was having a good time looking up and listening to fun trumpet solos, and in general just enjoying some brass music. Randomly I decided to look up a fun horn solo. I played horn through middle and high school. I’m about to finish freshman year of college, and I swear the pure wave of emotion and nostalgia from the tone of this horn has single handedly made me want to try and pick horn back up.

Beautiful.

Takes skill and musicianship,to play those few bars so eloquently. Thanks.

Wonderful

Wow. Love the idea. Great stuff.

Really love that warm and thick color

From the time my music teacher Lt. Col. Sam Rhodes retd. introduced me to the Mozart horn concertos back in the early 1960s, I was hooked. I dearly wanted to play the French horn, but my parents couldn't afford the instrument or the lessons - back then you couldn't hire an instrument, and the school had none. It never happened, but I still love the instrument.

So romantic ❤

Lovely!❤

There are some great horn players out there, but when I think of how a horn should sound, the 1st hornist I think of is Mr. Eric Terwilliger, followed by the late great Mr. Jerome Ashby. What a wonderful sound!

Beautiful The French horn brings a sound so heavenly it’s if Angel Gabriel is the player himself

Meraviglioso!!!! ❤❤❤

The first g sharp is really special.

wow, the last song of the 4last songs, beautiful

That cutoff at the end is quite satisfying.

The horn solo is beautiful, but Diana Damrau’s singing is exquisite! Such amazing breath control, and _pianissimo,_ too! She’s extraordinary!

Good to see Will Riker has expanded his skills from jazz trombone to classical horn. I'm glad he "made it so".

The best song writer in history.

Almost like a warm echo returning to soothe you.

Straus French horn solos are sublime Bravo 👏 Bravo 👏

I thought William T. Riker played the trombone.

The french horn has that intentional distant brooding sound that evokes so much emotion in the listener.

how sweet

Oui ce solo est une splendeur !

4 last songs are so elegant in their beauty. Not much of that going around these days.

Diana!

So powerful 😢

This hornist's tone is poetic. Whether rendered in solo, such as here, or in Ravel's "" Pavane..", this instrument's employment is always welcomed. When used to fill out the mid tonal range of the Orchestra, the Horn adds fullness and body, which is almost taken for granted. No other instrument sounds as noble, played fortissimo and in unison--(R. Strauss' "At the Summit" from his Eine Alpensinfonie Op. 64). The segue the Horn provides between Winds and Brass is notable, (no pun intended), as most orchestral offerings showcase. The Horn's highest register is second--only to the English Horn--in conveying loneliness and and a melancholic quality. As an orchestral wind player, I hold the honor of being seated in front of this magical instrument. This Horn is simply invaluable.

Longas sublimes!

Fabulous - thank you - but what about that first movement theme in the Dvorak 'cello concerto - the performance of the Frankfurt Radio S.O.'s principal horn does bring me to tears... every time! (The Gautier Capucon recording).

que hermoso

I remember the first time I played it. The world stopped when the horn solo came.

❤

Yep, l'd go along with that.

well, that was short for the heaven horn.

Indeed, Divine Richard Strauss ... the last breaths of longing for a world today even more distant. In death's parting, the beauty of what was sad in life. Respectful, ever-lasting gratitude to my French horn teachers of the past: Rudolph Puletz (first horn - Cleveland Orchestra / A. Rodziński) and Arthur Berv (first horn - NBC Symphony / A. Toscanini).

Imo nothing compares to Bruckner 2, slow movement. Best horn solo ever

Soprano, and a French horn: gotta be Richard Strauss.

I played the French horn from 6th through 12th grades. I was always envious of the girls who played flute since the flute is so much easier to carry and the case doesn't bang against your knee! I took up playing a flute for a while when I was in college, but never became proficient.

❤Faszinuerend🎉😊❤

It is truly a mighty horn as are the other big horns I studied trombone for a number of years one the directors of one the orchestra I played with made this statement "when the big horns speak all ears hear" dr. Swoboda Portland State University.

💎

This reminds me of Mahler a lot. It sounds akin to the symphony 3 finale, harmonies wise.

An that on Bavarian television. Bavaria is the best place,

i liked the singer

such a beautiful performance by steven spielberg

Der Vorhalt....

This reminds me so much of Lord of the Rings Soundtracks

The horn solo orchestration gives me a john williams feel for some reason.

R. Strauss's father was a horn player.

Soprano and horn ya has to be strauss

😩

And after all this time I thought Commander Riker only played the trombone….

Nobody: Not a single soul classical legends like Dvorak composing for French horn:

I always thought Jonathan Frakes was playing the trombone?! ... 🤔😉

French horns and mellos have such clean and majestic sounds

I remember this really old joke I read when I was in high school band: Why is the French Horn a sacred instrument? Because humans blow into it, but only God knows what comes out the other side.

I'm still learning. Composer and details please. Very beautiful music

I was expecting Feel So Good by Chuck Mangione

I would argue the 2nd mvmnt of Cappricio Español is the heavenly horn solo....

0:25

Pardon my ignorance (or my bad eyesight...?) but what is the work being performed?

French horn❤

Placido domingo is a good horn player! 🤣