Cornetto

Ivory Cornetto in A - Photographed for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons © Metropolitan Museum of Art

The cornetto became an indispensable instrument at European courts at the end of the 15th century. In the 16th century it flourished in Europe and also reached Latin American chapels. At the beginning of the 17th century it was used in numerous works by composers such as Giovanni Gabrieli, Claudio Monteverdi and Heinrich Schütz and was also during the later heyday of the German musical repertoire until at least 1814.

In teaching Cornetto, the HfK explores the extraordinary tonal flexibility of the instrument. The course is dedicated to regain the extensive repertoire of the instrument and deepen its potential through practical and musicological research. Technical basics are always taught taking historical practice into account, although compositions for cornetto are by no means neglected. In addition, theoretical and practical topics that are of particular relevance to students are discussed.