Re: Dennis Brain's horn [was: Period vs Modern instruments?]

Ken Moore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
> Michael Haslam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
> >Try reading for comprehension. Note the ** around "if" in my post. That
> >means that playing the piece on a Bb single horn is not what BB
> >intended. 
> 
> I agree.  It is unlikely that BB had even conceived of a single Bb
> orchestral horn in 1943, still less seen one.
> 
> >It is possible however. Ken Moore has explained how it is
> >possible to play the Prologue and Epilogue on a 5-valve single Bb horn,
> >but I am not sure if this was even available in the 1950s, and does not
> >really affect the argument. 
> 
> I had not heard of one by then.  They are still pretty rare, though I
> think they are a very good idea because they provide almost all the
> total lengths that you get on a double horn (B basso is missing, but you
> can easily lip down to bottom B concert, the only note for which it is
> nominally necessary), for less weight.  I learnt about them when I got
> the 1972 Alexander catalogue.
> 
> >Ken, isn't a Bb horn with only one set of
> >valve tubes but with an F valve known as a compensating horn?
> 
> Not usually, in my experience.  The chromatic horns can be split into
> three groups topologically:
> 
> Full doubles have double finger valves (i.e. 2 X 4-way) and a thumb
> valve (6-way) that routes the air through one set or the other.
> 
> Compensating horns have double finger valves and a thumb valve (4-way)
> that routes the air through one set or both.
> 
> Single horns have single valves (4-way) for fingers and zero, one or two
> single valves (4-way) for the thumb.  The five-valve version gives you
> 32 combinations, and you can adjust the valve crooks so that the lengths
> are all different.  In practice, you would get 16 substantially
> different lengths and 16 alternatives to some of these. 

Thanks for this. I *think* I understand :-)

MJHaslam