What associations the horn timbre evokes for you? It is quite a rare opportunity to hear solo
performance of this surprisingly interesting instrument with somewhat capricious but a very
noble and graceful character. And such an opportunity is brought to you by INSO-Lviv
Symphony Orchestra and the horn player of the world recognition Konstantin Timokhine.
Imagine a medieval royal hunt, with a pack of dogs, horses and, of course, special hunting horns.
In order for the sound to be louder and stronger, these instruments would be improved and made
longer. Over time they reached such a size that it was impossible to play normally, let alone
move with them, so masters came up with the idea to roll up the tube in several turns. So, in fact,
it was the way French horn came into being, and its literal translation means “forest horn”. If you
straighten it, you will get a pipe of about five meters long.
Three hundred years have passed since the French horn has taken its stable place in the world
musical culture and now is one of the most important instruments in various genres of
instrumental music.
Many music lovers believe that the French horn timbre is one of the most beautiful in the
orchestra, its juicy voice turns a simple melody into a force that can calm emotions or improve
mood of the listener. It is interesting that in different registers and dynamics, a tint of the horn
sound can vary from coarse and assertive, to light and singing – this allows the instrument alone
to convey the whole spectrum of emotions.
The poetic nature of the sound, its beautiful timbre always brought to the composers such
heartfelt musical thoughts, which while performed do not leave any music fan indifferent. French
horn is very popular among Hollywood composers. We can hear a French horn in many films,
for example, in the epic fantasy saga of George Lucas “Star Wars”.
In 2007, the French horn was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as one of the two most difficult musical instruments (the second was oboe).