h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There are two types of valve mechanism for the horn. I understood (but I can't find an authoritative source) that those horns with direct-action push valves (like a trumpet valve) were called French Horns, while those with lever-action valves were more correctly called German Horns. Can anyone shed more light on this?

It's a lot more complicated than that. The term French Horn is the name of the instrument in English. In other languages it is called Horn.

There are two types of French Horn, the French type (very rare) and the German type (almost universally accepted). The German type is still called a French Horn, but it is a German Type French Horn. The differences between them mainly relate to the length of the tube, the bore and other things which are not immediately obvious. French Type French Horns made in England use Piston Valves like a trumpet. French Type French Horns made in France and all German Type French Horns use rotary valves.

Confused?

Thanks ... I think!

And then you get Viennese horns (watch the New Year's Concert very carefully if you want to see the difference).

And I think you'll find that a horn with piston valves can be a German horn. Rotary valves are a (relatively) recent invention.

Life was easier in Mozart's day ... well, it was for Muciscologits, even if not for the poor Horn players!