Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/354

 93—Viola da gamba.

94.—Orchestral or 'French' Horns.

17th century, its members being slowly perfected out of the earlier viols and gradually supplanting them. The double-bass alone retained the old viol contour. Violins were used perhaps before 1600, certainly by Monteverdi in 1608. Tenors doubtless followed soon, but were commonly combined with the basses till about 1750. The violoncello seems not to have been recognized till after 1700, and not specially esteemed till towards 1800. (b) The transverse flute was used by Lully in 1677, but not brought into wide acceptance till about 1720. The oboe was the gradual derivative of several forms of double-reed instruments that were common in the Middle Ages, especially the schalmey, but its mechanism was improved early in the 17th century. The cor anglais (possibly a corruption of cor anglé) was similarly evolved from the tenor pommer of olden time, and the bassoon from the bomhart. (The invention of the bassoon is doubtfully attributed to Afranio of Ferrara before 1539.) The clarinet, with but one reed, was invented by J. C. Denner of Nuremberg (d. 1707) just before 1700, but did not make its way into the orchestra till after 1750 and was not common till about 1775. Its mediæval prototypes are obscure, though one of them, the chalumeau, persisted in use till the time of Gluck. (c) The horn is the descendant of the mediæval hunting horn; its orchestral use began early in the 18th century against some opposition on account of its alleged harshness! The trumpet, which differs from the horn in mouthpiece and tube, is a military instrument which came into orchestral use without much change. The trombone, as its name implies, is a big trumpet (tromba). The kettledrums or timpani have an ancient pedigree, largely military.