Diskanthorn

1. Descant horns are also available pitched in high F, an octave higher than the standard orchestral horn, and often coupled as a double or triple with a B♭and/or F horn. They are often confused with the modern so-called corno da caccia. Koehler (2014) explains the distinction: "Smaller than a descant horn in B-flat or a mellophone, yet slightly larger than a flugelhorn, the corno da caccia is not strictly considered a member of the horn family. It is often used by trumpeters to perform the high horn parts from Baroque composers like J.S. Bach and Telemann with modern orchestras because it sounds more hornlike than a flugelhorn and is more secure in the upper register. The unique sound of the instrument is also affected by the fact that the player's right hand operates the valves and is therefore not inside the bell. Although Bach scored some of his horn parts for corno da caccia (most notably in the "Quoniam" of the Mass in B minor, BWV 232), that historic instrument is not under consideration here.... This modern instrument is not related to the coiled form of the natural trumpet made famous in the portrait of Gottfried Reiche, which was sometimes called a tromba da caccia or Jägertrompete." Regarding the high pitch, in the eighteenth century pipe organs in Germany were often tuned to such a higher pitch (known as Chorton or Cornet-ton), so it is also possible (but less likely) that this horn was built specifically to be compatible with a provincial baroque-period church organ. Bucur (2016) states that in the 20th and 21st century "contemporary Baroque orchestras with period instruments, adopted the pitch used in pre-Leipzig Bach's cantatas", referencing A = 460 - 470. Alternatively, considering the possibility that this instrument is a signal horn rather than an orchestral horn, Baines (1976) offers a tantalizing description in the context of valved Furst-Pless horns: "...the Grand-Duke of the Palatinate before the 1914 war had a band of circular 'hunting cornets' [Jagdkornett] which played waltzes in the woods during the luncheon interval."
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2. The dimensions are as follows: leadpipe, 34 cm. (conical); tuning slide and valve section (cylindrical), 21 cm.; first branch and bell tail (conical), ca. 72 cm. for a total length of ca. 127 cm., somewhat shorter than the modern B♭ trumpet.It is difficult to pinpoint its exact pitch since the harmonics are not very well in tune with each other and are easily lipped up and down using a horn mouthpiece. It would probably be a little more stable with a shallower cup but the receiver is too small to accept a larger shank of a cornet or flügelhorn mouthpiece.. The fundamental and first three overtones are measured as follows with tuning slide extended 5 mm and the tuner set to A = 460.8 Hz.: 121.5 Hz. (~ B♭), 243.5 Hz. (~ B♭), 361.5 Hz. (F) 487.0 Hz. (B♭).
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3. Widholm (2016) gives the bore of two instruments by Leopold Uhlmann as 10.8 mm. See also Erste Wiener (10.7 mm), and anonymous Vienna (10.9 mm) in this collection).
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