Did Beethoven write the horns to four parts in the Ninth?

[Enrique]

I know many people has put their hands on Beethoven's symphonies, 1st of all of them Wagner. After him, a host of conductors believed themselves entitled to make changes in the orchestration. However, looking at the score, it seems unlikely the Beethoven wrote them to two parts.

[Chris]

I'm not sure what you mean. Beethoven definitely included four horns in the scoring of the Ninth.

[Enrique]

That's what I wanted to know. I had my doubts as to for how many horn parts the horns were written. I guess that present day scores include some of the changes made by Wagner, in which case one cannot know by only looking at the score. Anyway, as I understand it Wagner rewrote some of the brasses and this has nothing to do with adding parts.

[Roehre]

The Eroica has got 3 horns (especially noticable in the scherzo)

[Enrique]

I was looking for the horns and didn't find them. And then I remembered. The Trio!

[Peter]

That's what I wanted to know. I had my doubts as to for how many horn parts the horns were written. I guess that present day scores include some of the changes made by Wagner, in which case one cannot know by only looking at the score. Anyway, as I understand it Wagner rewrote some of the brasses and this has nothing to do with adding parts.

Wagner wasn't the only one to have a go with re-scoring, Mahler did the same, however most performances use Beethoven's original scoring.

[Enrique]

I see. It's good to know what's the way they are performed. I'd say extremely good. I presume that practice arose as a consecuence of the movement that preconizes the execution of the works of the old masters as they were heard in there time, or as it is believed they were. And hence, were this true, performamces in the first half of the past century must have been the contrary way. Thanks Peter for illustrating me.