Posted by Klaus on February 11, 2002 at 15:13:54:
In Reply to: Re: F-horn question..Farah?..Mary Ann?....?? posted by Lew on February 11, 2002 at 13:50:57:
The French and British makers made lefthanded piston French horns until a very few decades ago. Single F and compensating double Bb-F.
The Germans founded the present standard of left handed rotary horns. But they also have made right handed rotary horn. The idea was to make it easier for trumpet and flugelhorn players to be moved to French horns in military bands.
The remaining option would be right handed piston horns. I have never seen them documented.
As far as I can deduct from my general sources the idea of substituting French horns for marching purposes is American. Straight Frumpets from Getzen, forward bell circular mellophones from Conn, horn shaped mellophones from York, Martin, and King. All right handed. All playable on horn mouthpieces through an adapter or on generic mellophone mouthpieces. Vincent Bach has parallel series of mellophone and alto horn mouthpieces. Identical, but for the slightly narrower stem to the mellos.
The instrument referred to in the above auction link is simply an alto horn. Similar to the British Eb tenor horns in dimensions. But with the typical US features of front action pistons, front bell, and (very often) optional pitches of F and Eb. The latter two options concessions to the market segment of marching French horn players.
As for the instrument told of in the original posting: I have a Martin Eb righthanded mellophone, where the pistons are tilted in relation to the plane of the main circle. I have had plans of putting a French horn leadpipe on it to get a descant horn. But I hardly will do so after I recently found an Alexander F/G descant recently (can be seen through the link below).
This renewed my old recognition, that mellos never approch real horns. They simply are oddly wrapped alto horns.
Klaus
PS: The ceremonial army band of Washington DC uses alto horns for its outdoors duties. I would very much like to be informed, whether the players are auditioning on French horns? Or if there are those very few pro spots for dedicated alto horn players?