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

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

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

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

no ballad horns in my galleries.

Klaus

What brand?

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

Klaus