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A lot of researches have been conducted on Mozart's work and how to play it, including by myself. Eventhough those works helped our comprehension of this music, we still don't know what particular horn did Leutgeb (the composer's hornist friend) play at the time ; and never have I ever encountered a practical experimentation on such an instrument yet. XVIIIth century horns are rare and never played : every recorded performance of Mozart’s music on hand-horn is played on a copy or a XIXth century horn, which is historically inaccurate. We know a lot of theory ; but no one has gone any further yet. My goal is to step in the unknown : first, to get as close as possible to the horn Leutgeb and Mozart knew ; then, find and play a historical horn from Mozart’s time, and see what impact it has on the playing and the music.
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PART 1 : Historical investigation
Short history of the horn’s evolution
About horn manufacture in the XVIIIth century
Interesting family connections
Iconography of the XVIIIth century horn
Other clues in favor of fixed-pitch horns
Conclusions of the investigation
PART 2 : Practical experimentation
Approaching a 1798 Haltenhof French horn
Quick look at a 1810 Kerner horn
Quick look at a 1721 Leichamschneider fixed-pitch horn