50 BULLETIN 136, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



France they were called "muffled sounds" because of their peculiar 

 quality. Composers wrote the horn parts so that when weird or mys- 

 terious effects were required they employed " hand notes," while in 

 a frank and joyous mood they used the " open sounds." An Italian 

 hunter's horn is 95270, which has a sliding joint to adjust the pitch 

 and free the horn from water. A " French horn " obtained in Italy, 

 and of the type popularly associated with the chase, is 95319 (pi. 

 20<3 ) with bell painted red on the inside. A small French horn is 

 exhibited. The French horn as a concert instrument is unique for 

 compass and beautiful velvety quality of tone. It is employed in a 

 quartet of first, second, third, and fourth horns where a composer 

 desires smooth, sustained harmonics and particularly beautiful 

 blending of tone. 



As said by Galpin, " all these principles and devices, whether slide, 

 holes, keys, or hand, have had to give way, more or less, to the great 

 invention of the nineteenth century — the valve principle. The 

 valves act as little taps which, when moved by a lever or piston, 

 direct the wind into additional lengths of tubing and allow it to 

 return into the instrument and out at the bell." Invented about 1815 

 by a Silesian, Blumel, improved by the German horn player, Stolzel, 

 and an English farmer, John Shaw, it was perfected by the Belgian 

 family Sax, who have given their name to the Sax horns and other 

 wind instruments, including the modern Saxophones. Stanley writes 

 that at first only two valves were used, in 1829 the number was in- 

 cerased to three and in 1835 to five valves. The rotary (swivel) valve 

 was invented in 1832 by Johana Riedt, of Vienna, had a brief popu- 

 larity, and gave way to a return of the former valve, though it was 

 still used in 1900 by German and Austrian bands. By the employ- 

 ment of one or the other of these devices, in combination with tubes 

 of various size in length and bore, a great variety of military instru- 

 ments and one or two important, orchestral instruments of the tuba 

 class have been produced. An E flat alto saxophone received in 1901 

 is 210928 (pi. 21d) , and a B-flat tenor saxophone of the same year is 

 210929 (pi. 21/). A soprano saxophone with straight tube is 210927. 



Two interesting Italian horns with valves are shown. No. 95276 is 

 dated " since 1827 " and has rotary valves. The horn is held upright 

 when played. A metal bar connects the finger key to the rotating 

 cylinder. This kind of valve is called Durch ventil by the Germans 

 and Cylindre a rotation by the French. No. 95273, dated " about 

 1837," has three double-piston valves which lower the tone respec- 

 tively a tone, a half tone, and a tone and a half. Other combinations 

 lower the tone still greater degrees. This system of double tubular 

 piston valves is called in Germany " Weiner ventil," and was much 

 admired in Belgium. 



