Probably one of the greatest reasons to love the horn is because it can be part of any section of the orchestra. The rest of the brass section is confined to mainly being that, a brass section. Furthermore, outside of the orchestra they are confined to brass choirs and brass chamber groups.
- Horn with Woodwind -
On the note of chamber groups, the horn gets to not only be part of the brass quintet, but also part of the woodwind quintet. This is because the warm sound of the horn was added to "fill out" the sound, since woodwinds naturally produce a thinner sound.
- Horn with Percussion -
This isn't perhaps one of the prouder moments for the horn player, but look at marches and dances. Who is almost always getting the rhythm with the snare? These might not be as fun to play, but for the song, they play a vital role in the overall sound and texture.
- Horn with Brass -
Now this may seem like the obvious one, and yes, when it comes down to it, horn is primarily a member of the brass section. What makes the horn unique within this setting is that it's the only instrument pointing backwards, which contributes to that different color. Furthermore, horn is usually the only brass instrument carrying the middle voice, making it vital in the balance of sound.
- Horn with Strings -
The horn also accompanies the strings for this same purpose. The huge string sections can produce a ton of sound, but when a composer needs that warm "backdrop" of sound they'll add the horn section in unison with the strings. Great examples of this are at the climax of the first movement of Shostakovich's 5th Symphony and the beginning of R. Strauss's Ein Heldenleben.
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