Cornu de Pompeii

Instrumento construido por María Ruíz e Abraham Cupeiro baseándose nos cornus atopados en Pompeia no século XIX.

Instrumento construido por María Ruíz y Abraham Cupeiro basándose en los cornus hallados en Pompeya en el siglo XIX.

Instrument built by María Ruíz and Abraham Cupeiro, based on the cornus found at Pompeii in the 19th century.

[BeeWhistler]

People are always saying they wish they’d been born in a different time, but I like living in a time when I can hear stuff like this without being afraid of whoever is playing it...

[PrisonBrain]

Hearing the cornu in 2022 : "aw this sounds so cool"
Hearing the cornu in 300 BC : *HEAVY BREATHING*

[tom_something]

A trumpet's tube length is about 1.5m. The instrument shown here is has a tube length at least four times as great. So if you play a note on the trumpet, and then you play that same pitch on this horn, you are playing much higher up the harmonic series. This allows the player to blow notes that are very close to one another, without the need for valves to change the effective length of the tube. This allows for a brass instrument with no complicated moving parts, which can play complex melodies.

The two major downsides are a reduced margin of error and fixed temper. If the blower is slightly off, they may play the wrong note. Whereas on a shorter instrument where you might be playing farther down the harmonic series, it's often enough for a beginner to be in the general neighborhood to at least make the right note play, with variable finesse.

And all of the frequencies that can be played on this instrument are whole-number multiples of the lowest possible note. Temperament is a whole bag of worms that's a bit too much to get into here. But a horn of fixed length (no valves) is like a guitar that 1) has no frets on the neck and 2) you're also only allowed to play harmonics (can't press the string against the neck; light touch only) and 3) only has one string.

This limits the keys that this instrument can play in, even in a solo (unless you're deliberately working outside of "comfortable" intonation, which can certainly be a thing). And it wouldn't play well in concert with most modern instruments, which tend to use equal temperament. There'd be one note in the entire scale where this instrument and the equal-temperament instrument are perfectly in tune with one another, while some other notes will sound slightly detuned, like a honkey-tonk piano. Other notes would produce a noticeable wobble called a "beat", while other notes will be so dissonant as to produce buzzing or howling sounds.

All this to say, if you ever go to a concert where some instrument like this is being exhibited, and modern instruments are being played with it, and it sounds good, it means some people worked very very hard on bringing them together.

[nathanleary]

I don't think people realize how incredibly difficult it is to do this without valves and buttons to use. Holy crap.

[paunaic]

No wonder there were so many myths around music and the people that mastered it. The variety of instruments and their melodies are enchanting.

[Benzy]

Wikipedia says these were used in funeral processions and by the military. I can only imagine what ancient people must have felt when they heard these things. Very powerful stuff.

[brettpearson]

Imagine a large number of these being played as you form up for ancient battle, would get the blood pumping.

[elcatrinc]

Imagine someone taking these obscure and odd instruments from history and making a jazz band with all of them

[alexchang]

He didn’t press any buttons but blew out different scales. It‘s really awesome!

[DavideMCMXCIX]

Imagine hearing the same melody from the same instruments as you ancestors did 2000 years ago.. chills..

[MusicMajorMaestro]

This would have been terrifying to hear in battle

[annelyceimgrund]

Just like my experience hearing the Carnax horn! So breathtaking to hear these ancient instruments played after being buried so long in Pompeii!

[SedDelMar]

This was both beautiful and powerful. I had no idea that such a simple instrument could emote with such range.
My hat is off! This musician is a master.

[RayfieldA]

This clip is brought to you by the letter "G".

[beautyforashes]

This was so achingly beautiful, like nothing I've ever before. Wonderful that such an instrument exists and bravo to this gentleman that is playing it so expertly.

[brownstonecustomcabinetry]

This dude has really good control and tone. I don't hear a great sounding instrument I hear a great sounding player although I will say that instrument does have great range

[CinemaoftheMind]

A sound you never would have heard, if not for a volcano going off in 79AD.

[chicobicalho]

What an amazing sound! Never thought it could emerge from such a long narrow tube. At around 0:42 it almost sounds like two elephants arguing : ⁰ )

[AnAwkwardBlue]

This looks like something out of a Dr Seuss book

[ttonya_ma]

Imagine being in your quiet town, making bread in the morning, and then you ear this on the hills...