8/16/2019 THE HORN

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THE HORN 

The horn may be traced back to the primitive shofar, bucina, lituus, and the like.

Today's Horn is perhaps more directly related to the hunting horn of central Europe. The

hunting horn was used to conduct the hunts of the aristocracy. It was used for signaling

the beginning and end of the hunt, and for the alert of various prey.

The horn of the late Renaissance, called the natural horn, was a curve shaped

instrument, which made it easier to carry, and allowed the hornist to insert their hand

into the bell. Hampel, a hornist from Dresden, found that inserting the hand into the bell

of the horn could alter the pitch.

The valve was invented around 1813. After its addition to the horn, the horns role

changed dramatically. Many composers, particularly French composers, did not like the

horn with valves, and thus continued composing for the natural horn. As time passed,

many composers began to see the potential of the valve horn, and as the Romantic

period progressed, they began exploring the chromaticism now available on theinstrument.

"French" Horn is actually a misnomer. British royalty imported musicians from Europe

during the 1500's. Many of the hornist apparently came from France. They were

referred to as "fine French horn players," with "French" actually referring to their

nationality, not the nationality of the horn itself. Today, the United States is the only

country that incorrectly refers to the horn as the "French" horn.