as a birthday present from my wife i received "How to Play the Cornett" by Jeremy West. this gracious gift will go miles towards me making noises that are more melodious than rude when my resin cornett arrives from Christopher Monk Instruments a few months hence.
now your obvious question - unless you are a fan of Monteverdi, Gabrieli, and Bassano - what on earth is a cornett (also variously known as cornetto and zink)? well.... imagine, if you will, a recorder with a brass type mouthpiece; six finger holes and one thumb hole at the top, made of wood, and sounding “like a ray of sunshine piercing the shadows, when heard with the choir voices in the cathedrals or chapels” according to someone in 1636.
the cornetto was the 'cool' instrument from about 1500-1650. every group that was any good had cornettos in it. the top players were the highest paid musicians of the day. its use in virtuoso music was at least equal to the violin, with much of the music indicating "violino o cornetto" meaning that either was a suitable choice. there are a number of theories as to why its use died out. one has it that many of the greatest players died out during the Venetian plague of 1630 leaving few to teach the instrument; another that since it is a difficult instrument there were few players to begin with, and the development of violin technique and new instruments like the oboe made it outdated.
thankfully for classical music buffs, interest has been revived in the last half century and there are now a good number of players world wide, and groups making recordings for us to enjoy: Jeremy West, His Majesty's Sagbutts and Cornetts, Bruce Dickey, Concerto Palatino, and many more.
as an example of the sound i have linked a cornett/vocal duet from the website of Kiri Tollaksen: In Dulce Jubilo
buona notte tutto!
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