Mystery Horn

[David Richoux]

Howard Miyata shared this picture on Facebook yesterday - I am thinking it is an early attempt at a valved Ophicleide, but have no facts to back that up.

rotary ophicleide.jpg

Valved Natural Trumpet?

Any ideas?

[David Richoux]

It looks like there is some sort of linkage on the left side - like a Sarrusophone or Sax. That is why I am thinking Ophicleide replacement.

Yes, it could be totally bogus, but I have seen many other strange looking brasswind inventions!

[imperialbari]

Try following the main bugle:

Leadpipe trough the first valve (the one with the short loop).

Within the 2nd valve the main bugle returns to the top bow.

From there going down and touching the bell before looping back into the bell. Fairly short main bugle compared to the amount of tubing,

From the 2nd valve a double branch runs down through 5 sections of increasing length separated by valves. Down through the double bottom bow and looping back into itself.

Each section lowers the instrument a whole step. All 5 sections together take the instrument down a minor seventh.

The first valve is a semitone valve to be used with the open bugle and with the first whole step section. When more sections are added the appendix sitting in the second whole step section is used as the semitone valve. The 5 whole step sections plus the long semitone lower the instrument a major seventh thereby allowing for full chromatics within an octave.

The bore profile reminds me much more of a trombone than of even an ophicleide.

Described as if the instrument was in playing position.

Klaus

[David Richoux]

Verdi loved these.

I was going to go there, but I left it for you.

After doing a cimbasso image search I see this horn has been here before

but there was so much stuff on that thread maybe this photo got lost a bit. I sure didn't see it!

I was wondering about a possible Swedish connection before I posted the pic - I note it was shown in the linked thread that it was posted by "Lingon" of Sweden. Also found this interesting (unrelated ) document! Some very strange instruments are pictured...

[k001k47]

Yep, that's a brass instrument.

[Lingon]

...I was wondering about a possible Swedish connection before I posted the pic - I note it was shown in the linked thread that it was posted by "Lingon" of Sweden...

Sorry David not any connection to Sweden, known by me at least, other than that I found the picture on the web, from Italy. As it looked like something that could have been used in the early, upright?, cimbasso days I thought it would be of some interest...

[J.c. Sherman]

It would seem to be a tenor valve trombone with a unique dependent descending (could be ascending) valve system. Brilliant, elegant, but not something I'd ever want to try to learn!

Screams Italian. Verdi would have probably been cool with it.

[Lingon]

David et al, I thought I have seen the Bimbonifono somewhere else than at the Italian museum's website. Eventually I found it i the Bevan book, 2nd edition, p 410 and 411. I believe Klaus was on the right track thinking it would be some sort of trombone instrument because "The trombonist Giovacchino Bimboni invented the Bimbonifono about 1850, Pitched in F with seven rotary valves, five tone and one semitone descending, one semitone ascending, its keys are arranged as on a woodwind instrument" etc. So, it might be an variant of an 'improved' valve (bass)trombone or ophicleide, maybe a version of an early cimbasso

I also found an Italian text on the net that states:
"Trombone dotato di una meccanica che consentiva anche agli strumenti a bocchino di registro piu grave di effettuare particolari virtuosismi. Ideato da Giovacchino Bimboni tra il 1849 e il 1870.", which points to trombone more than the alternatives. Maybe not an early cimbasso after all...