Scottish Vienna Horns
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The Vienna Horn
The term Vienna Horn describes a traditional single horn, still used in several Austrian orchestras on a daily basis, and almost unchanged since the mid 19th century. It is usually pitched in F with a tube length of some 3.7m (12ft), with a detachable coiled crook making up approximately one third of its length. Usually built as a three valve horn, using the Uhlmann twin-piston valve mechanism that originated around 1830, and with the valve units positioned away from the left hand, near to the bell. The cylindrical bore is small by modern standards, being in the range of 10.7 mm to 11.00 mm. The bell throat ranges from small to medium, with a wide kranz around the bell flare. These features combine to produce a rich focused sound, a beautiful legato, and a penetration in fortissimo unlike any other type of horn.
Cut away model of a set of Vienna valves
It remains the horn of the world famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and composers such as Mahler, Strauss, Schoenberg and Bruckner wrote with its characteristic tonal qualities in mind.
The Vienna Philharmonic horns can be heard in the New Year's Day Concert from the Musikverein (Das Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker). This concert is broadcast live to approximately 50 countries and attracts an audience of over one billion people. It is the most popular concert in the world; which must make the Vienna horn sound well known around the world!
Vienna Horn makers:
Vienna Horn Gallery
Alexander of Mainz
Dehmal (Anton)
Engel (Robert)
Erste Wiener Productiv Genossenshaft
Ganter (Hermann)
Haagston (Alois Mayer)
Jungwirth (Andreas)
Uhlmann ( Leopold)
Yamaha (Rudolf Froeschl / Fröschl)
Thinking of buying a Vienna Horn, then take a look at our
Vienna horn buyers guide
Scottish Vienna Horns
Scottish Vienna Horns are a large Vienna horn ensemble, and were founded in 1993. Players come from many locations and backgrounds, brought together by the common goal of playing the Vienna horn. This is a very unusual configuration of instruments, there being just ourselves, and the Tokyo Vienna Horn Club outside of Austria (if another Vienna horn group does exist outside Austria, then we would be pleased to make contact). Within Austria there are a number of Vienna horn ensembles, including the Wiener-Waldhorn-Verein founded in 1883.
Scottish Vienna Horns have received help and advice from the following Vienna horn players:
Franz Söllner, former third horn player for the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
Lars Michael Stransky, principal horn, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
Hans Pizka, solo horn Bavarian State Orchestra (Bavarian State Opera).
http://www.pizka.de and Hans Pizka - The MovieRoland Horvath, long-time member of the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
Christopher Larkin, member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Vienna Horn Specialist.
links to other related websites
Contact SVH at:
www.svh.org.uk/index.html
September 2007
www.svh.org.uk
