Beer's Concerto In the late 17th century,
Johann Beer composed a Concerto à 4 in B, which paired a post horn with a
corne de chasse as the two solo instruments, accompanied by violins and
basso continuo.
Mozart's Posthorn Serenade Mozart composed his
Serenade No. 9, the "Post horn Serenade", in 1779. The second trio of the 6th movement, the Menuetto, features a solo of the posthorn.
Mahler and others Mahler and others incorporated the post horn into their orchestras for certain pieces. On such occasions, the orchestra's trumpet player usually performs with the instrument. One example of post horn use in modern classical music is the famous off-stage solo in Mahler's
Third Symphony. Due to the scarcity of this instrument, however, music written for it is usually played on a
trumpet,
cornet or
flugelhorn.
Post Horn Galop In 1844, the German cornet player Hermann Koenig wrote
Post Horn Galop as a solo for post horn with an orchestral accompaniment. In the 20th century it became a popular piece for
brass bands. It has been the walk-on music for the
Leicester City Football Club since 1935.
Compositions for other instruments imitating a post horn An imitation of the post horn's fanfare was a commonly used in music describing, or referring to, the
post coach or travel in general. Notable musical examples include
Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother by
Bach, which includes an "
Aria di postiglione" and a "''Fuga all'imitazione della cornetta di postiglione''", both containing an octave jump similar to that of the postal horn.
Handel's Belshazzar includes in the second act a "
Sinofonia" that uses a similar motif (subtitled
Allegro postilions) depicting Belshazzar's messengers leaving on a mission. A very similar movement is included in the third "Production" of
Telemann's Tafelmusik.
Beethoven's Les adieux piano sonata is centered on a horn-like motif, again signifying the departure of a loved-one.
Schubert's Winterreise includes the song "
Die Post", of which the piano part prominently features a horn signal motif. ==Other uses==