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The modern “French” Horn is a direct descendant from the ancient hunting horn. The 17th century fashion for large looped Cor de chasse emerged from the French court and quickly became popular throughout Europe. Initially the hunting horn was brought into the orchestra as a sound effect, suggesting the outdoors and chivralry associated with the instrument.
The baroque horn was played often with the bell of the instrument in the air and the demanding parts of Bach, Handel, Zelenka et al would have required great sensitivity of technique. The high tessitura of the horn parts of this era was due to the horn having a greater range of notes in the highest part of the instrument. To change the key of the instrument terminal crooks were added to the instrument lengthening or shortening the instrument and thereby changing the overall pitch.
During the mid-18th century the development of “hand technique” revolutionised the instrument. By inserting the hand (traditionally but not exclusively the right hand) into the bell of the instrument and to different degrees “stopping” the air flow it became possible to create notes in-between the notes of the harmonic series. This new technique led to an explosion of compositions for the horn. Germany and Bohemia, which had been the breeding ground for virtuosity since the early 18th century, buzzed with activity – Mozart and Haydn writing concerti for the instrument. Horn players became “superstars” and toured Europe to wide acclaim. When the hand horn virtuoso Giovanni Punto premiered Beethoven’s Horn Sonata it was written in the Ofner und Pesther Taschenbuch (7th May, 1800) :
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