Introducing Mozart's Horn

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The first of a new series of videos exploring the instruments of the 'classical' era (1750-1820).

Principal Horn Roger Montgomery looks at the instrument that would have been used to perform Mozart's horn concertos.

[RyanAlexanderBloom]

200 years and 4 or 5 valves later and horn players still fight to find pitches. Weird instrument. Sounds cool though.

[Saxshoe]

That guy must have some serious muscle dexterity in his right hand to be able to adjust pitch that finely.

[Renshen]

Cecil Forscyth in his book on orchestration (1914) noted that Haydn did not write for stopped notes, Mozart used stopped notes in the solo passages but rarely if ever in the tutti, and Beethoven used the stopped notes in both solo and Tutti passages.

[geoffcollinson]

Thank you Roger Montgomery. A legend of British horn playing.

[tristanperrow]

As a double horn player, I find this very interesting. I think this is very neat.

[medievalmusiclover]

Very interesting detail about classical era Mozart's Horn. Good job and wonderful presentation.

[MolnarPohdap]

Excellent demonstration: skillful, clear and succinct! Many thanks!

[bmxman]

I always wondered how you would play a horn concerto in 1795

[grahamnancledra]

Thank God it's about a musical instrument!

[palutalu]

I once had a whim and I had to obey it...

[iijace]

this horn is probably in the time of late classical or early romantic. Something like Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Brahms(Brahms uses natural horns for his Serenades and Symphonies)

[idraote]

The horn must be the most intractable instrument that ever existed

[twothousandcookies]

If you think this is cool check out javier bonet- he does amazing performances on natural horn.

[bendirval]

As if the french horn isn't already difficult enough to play...

[theyellowentity]

Something I would never be able to play

[severussnape]

I'm wondering how people could make the natural horn which is tuned at A=431Hz to modern tuning (A=440Hz)? I watched some Beethoven symphonies performance with modern orchestra and I see hornists play the natural horn in modern tuning. Did they replace the original mouthpieces on those horns with some modern ones?

[Anthony-lukg]

I think it should be very hard to make the right sound...
No valves, controlling sounds only by the right hand and the embouchure😅😅😅

[DampZombieNugget]

It's not the only horn of Mozart...

[tomfurgas]

The sliding images of the performer with accompanying whooshing noises is already ridiculously old hat and distracts from the actual content of the video.