The horn is ‘the’ instrument of the Romantic period. Robert Schumann (1810–1856) praised it as ‘the soul of the orchestra’. He even imitated the sound of hunting horns in his piano works. ‘Jagdlied’, No. 8 from Waldszenen, Op. 82 – a set of nine short piano pieces written in 1849 – actually sounds like an piano reduction of a brilliant horn fanfare.

Also from 1849 is ‘Abendlied’ (Evening Song), the final movement of Schumann’s 12 Klavierstücke Op. 85 for piano four hands. The horn is not only...