Ballad Horn Recording?

[TheHatTuba]

Does anyone have a recording of a ballad horn (or does it sound pretty much like a french horn?)?

[imperialbari]

Some sources let one assume that the term of ballad horn was a pre-1900 name for what also is known as a mellophone, which used to be an alto horn in a French horn shape.

Klaus

[Ace]

No recording found, but here's some more information on the various "ballad" horns.

http://www.rugs-n-relics.com/Brass/mellophoneTN.html" target="_blank

Ace

[imperialbari]

Which reminds me of the point I missed in my first posting: The pitch of C which allowed the non-transposed playing from vocal scores.

This playing over-the-should-of the piano/keyboard player also was popular in in some continental European areas. From the Czech-South-German region we se flugelhorns in C being popular befor WWI. The French had dual pitch baritones in C & Bb for the same purpose.

The pitches of Bb & A in bloke’s ballad horn are not by hazard either. These were the pitches for which Arban wrote his variations.

Many older American mellophones came with crooks and/or pitch valves for F, Eb, D and C. Some maybe also for E. As they are playable with trumpet mouthpieces I tend to see their purpose being for doublers in the minimal pit ensembles of touring opera and operetta companies.

Klaus

[imperialbari]

no ballad horns in my galleries.

Klaus

[imperialbari]

What brand?

Looks rather like a not too slim baritone being circularized for visual reasons.

Klaus