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 the instrument. "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.
