Natural Horn Models

What was initially regarded as a fad has meanwhile become a firm part of musical life: often supported by the idealism of those involved, ensembles playing on original instruments or copies of them are holding their own. Just as this performance practice trains the musicians’ sensitivity to sound, I as a horn maker have had to return to historical bores, material thicknesses and manufacturing methods – which, incidentally, has also influenced the way we make the bells of our modern valve horns. Let me introduce the provisional result of intensive development work that spared no expense on materials and tooling – 6 natural horn models in total:

Horn parts in J. S. Bach’s works

List according to Gisela Csiba and Jozsef Csiba, “Die Blechblasinstrumente in J. S. Bachs Werken” (The brass instruments in J. S. Bach’s works):

Corno da caccia (bell diameter 120–180 mm)

in high D: BWV 232*
in high C: BWV 16/107
in high Bb: BWV 143
in G: BWV 174
in F: BWV 213/248/1046/1071

Corno da tirarsi (bell diameter 120–180 mm)

in high C, Bb and A: BWV 46/67/162

Lituus (bell diameter 120–180 mm)

in high Bb: BWV 118

Corne du chasse (bell diameter 200–240 mm)

in high C: BWV 65
in low C: BWV 109

Corno (bell diameter 220–300 mm)

in high D: BWV 88/205/218
in high Bb: BWV 14
in A: BWV 136
in G: BWV 79/91/100/112/128/195/212/250/251/252
in F: BWV 1/14/40/52/83/208
in Eb: BWV 140
in low D: BWV 60
in low C: BWV 3/8/26/27/40/62/68/73/78/83/89/95/96/99/105/114/115/116/124/125/136

* Peter Damm’s view that the “Quoniam” from the B minor Mass should be in low D seems more logical to me. However, my baroque horns can be tuned from high D to low C, so both versions can be performed.