Gemhorns

Historic horn flutes with baroque flute fingering in various pitches. Gemshorns The name Gemshorn is still known to us today through the organ stop of the same name. In fact, however, organ builders in the 16th century borrowed this name from the so-called Gemshorn – probably to describe the soft yet carrying sound of that stop. However, the Gemshorn had probably been around for about 400 years at that time! The Gemshorn is made from an animal horn. Probably the only preserved specimen to date was found in the Zeughaus Berlin in 1913 – but without any information about its origin. As in the illustrations by Virdung, Agricola and Dürer, this is a goat’s horn. So, unfortunately, the origin of the name remains unclear. The Gemshorn is characterized by a surprisingly sweet sound and relatively easy technical access. The harmony with recorders (especially with the bass recorder) and other, rather quiet Renaissance instruments is excellent! Gemshorns can be used both as soloists and in polyphonic ensembles. Especially in the interplay of soprano, alto, tenor and bass gemshorns sound fantastic.