New Baroque Horn Model, after Christopher Hofmaster, ca. 1760

The Hofmaster baroque horn, based on an original by the London maker Christopher Hofmaster, (died 1764) is appropriate for orchestral and chamber music of the first half of the 18th century, and especially the music of Handel and his contemporaries. The original is one of a pair in the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments (#3297) in Edinburgh, Scotland, who were kind enough to supply their own technical drawings, measurements, and other researches into this instrument, as well as allowing me to examine it in person and play on it. This, and other photos of the original instrument may be seen on their web site: www.music.ed.ac.uk/euchmi As with the Haas baroque horn, It plays well either with the hand in the bell, or without. The sound quality of the Hofmaster horn is somewhat darker and fuller than the Haas model baroque horn.

The pitch level of the Hofmaster horn is A=415. The horn is normally made with a G master crook and four couplers, (whole step, minor third, major third, and fourth,) which will lower the instrument to F, E, E flat and D, but can also be made with an F crook and three couplers, for E, E flat and D. 

Ventholes can be added to the body of the horn for correcting the intonation of the 11th and 13th partials when playing with the hand out of the bell. The technique of using nodal venting on baroque brass instruments is not an authentic 18th century practice, and there are no surviving instruments from the baroque period with ventholes, but this technique is now often used as a compromise to make it possible to play well in tune without the hand in the bell. (For a detailed discussion of nodal venting on the baroque horn, see this article.)

The baroque horn is tuned by means of tuning spacers that can be inserted between crooks, or in the mouthpipe inlet. A set of mouthpipe and crook spacers are included with the instrument, including one long enough to allow the horn to be played without the hand in the bell. The bell diameter is 23cm, and the bore through the cylindrical couplers is .440".

Prices effective April 1, 2008

Instruments are not supplied with cases. Please inquire if you would like information on where to find cases that will fit this model.