Vienna horn

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The Vienna horn (German: Wiener Horn) is a type of horn used primarily in Vienna, Austria. It is used throughout Vienna, including the Vienna Philharmonic and Wiener Staatsoper.

[edit] History and description

Vienna horn

During the nineteenth century, a number of experiments were made in adding valves to the natural horn to enable it to play chromatically without the need for hand-stopping. These experiments included adding Piston valves (as used in modern trumpets) to a single F horn. The horn was still crooked to play in base keys other than F.

The Vienna horn uses a peculiar form of double cylinder valve associated with the Viennese firm Uhlmann of the 1840s known as a Pumpenvalve, which is distinct from although similar to the standard piston valve. Unlike rotary valves, the pumpenvalve allows the air to flow straight when the valves are not actuated. When pressed, each valve redirects the air stream 90 degrees in one bend, lessening the resistance felt by the player. This type of valve is one of the many contributing factors to the incredibly liquid legato that is one of the trademarks of the Viennese school.

The internal diameter of the Vienna horn is also smaller than more modern horns - this bore size and shape is actually very close to the design of the valve-less natural horns. The removable crooks (usually an F and A and/or Bb) are also smoothly tapered for the length of the horn, so there is no "compromise" like that found in modern double and triple horns.

Although subsequent developments, including the rotary valve and double horns, supplanted these horns in most places, the pumpenvalve horn was retained in Vienna due to it sounding more like the natural horn; a more mellow sound, an arguably smoother legato playing. This is due in part to the piston valves and in part to the larger bell-flare still used with these instruments. The Vienna horn has remained virtually unchanged since the mid-nineteenth century.

Hornists who use the Vienna horn also use a natural horn mouthpiece, which is convex. A standard French horn mouthpiece is concave, partly to facilitate the playing of lower notes.