Observations on Bach's Use of the Horn

Part II
By Bertil H. van Boer, Jr.
Ithaca, New York

Doubts do arise, however, with the many non-transposing parts, par­

ticularly those which are used to support a cantus firmus or vocal line.
These are notated in what Charles Terry and Kurt Janetzky misleadingly
call "C alto,” i.e., in sounding pitch.24 This unfortunate designation has
given rise to the belief that most of these parts, with their apparently large
amount of chromaticism, were destined to be played by the slide-trumpet,
or Zugtrompete, even though Bach specifically designates Corne in the
surviving autographs and authentic parts. More recently, R. Morley-Pegge
and Nikolaus Harnoncourt have continued to subscribe to this notion.25

In order to attempt to resolve this conflict between Bach’s designations

and the notation of the parts in question, I have thoroughly examined all
of Bach’s horn parts to determine if, indeed, the parts could be played on
natural horns using only their harmonic series and those factitious notes
which have already been suggested previously in this article. Special atten­
tion was paid to the ranges of the horns in works by Bach’s contemporaries,
especially those in Dresden. The results of this examination are listed in
Table 1.

Several important items were revealed in this study. First, Bach’s auto­
graphs that list the horn doubling the voices do not have a separate stave
for the instrument. Rather, it is appended to the vocal line. Apparently, the
scribes who copied out the parts from the score simply rewrote the vocal
part, relying on the performer to adjust his instrument accordingly. With
only one exception, none of these parts reflect true obbligato horn writing.26
Secondly, of the fifty-six individual non-transposing movements, only six
could not have been played on a natural horn using Baroque technique.
Of these six, three are for the mysterious corno da tirarsi (about which
more will be said later). Two of the remaining problematic parts, in Can­
tatas BWV 95 and BWV 105, are possible on the natural horn with a
change of crooks. The former requires the instrument to change from F
to G and the latter (marked ed oboe) needs crooks in D and G. Although
this sort of change in midstream is feasible, I know of no documented case
of it from Bach’s time. However, this does not rule out the possibility that
crooks were exchanged. It should be noted that in both works, other move­
ments which use the horn contain parts which could be accommodated on
regular natural instruments. The remaining movement is the first chorale

9
in Cantata BWV 68, composed in 1725. In the extant autograph parts for
this work, the fifth movement lists a cornetto or Zink as the instrument
required. An examination of both the first and fifth movements shows that
the part in question has the same range and amount of chromaticism.
Given this similarity, it seems probable that Bach meant for a cornett to
be used throughout this cantata.27 Of the remaining fifty non-transposing
parts, one is in В-flat alto, four are in A, six in G, ten in F, nine in E,
eight in E-flat, ten in D, and two in "C basso.”2* Notably absent from this
list is the "C alto” designation of Terry, et al. Thirdly, it can be shown that
in some instances non-transposing parts are interspersed with transposing
ones. This would seem to be an indication that Bach had the natural horn
in mind all along, and modern Bach scholarship has not paid the necessary
attention to the specific performance practices of Bach’s horn-players.29

In the examination of these parts, it becomes apparent that attention

was given to the abilities of Bach’s performers, especially Gottfried Reiche.
While many of the parts seem unusually difficult and appear to dwell upon
the highest tessitura of the horn, it must be stressed that even among
clarinists, Reiche was a man of unusual accomplishment and talent, and
that these "impossible” parts may well have been written with him, or an
equally talented player, in mind. A master of the clarino register of the
trumpet, Reiche would have preferred the comparative ease with which
the lower pitched horns would have played, and the higher harmonics of
the horn provide a greater variety of notes than would be possible on the
trumpet. In addition, Reiche would have been aided through the use of an
adapted, shallow-cupped trumpet-type mouthpiece, so that embouchure
changes would have been minimal.30

Of special interest among these difficult works is Cantata BWV 109,

composed in 1723. The autograph part for the horn is clearly labelled
Corne du chasse, so there can be no confusion as to the type of instrument
Bach desired.31 The horn is non-transposing in the keys of D Minor/
F Major, and it has an incredible range of sounding c1 to c3. Though
Janetzky states that the part is in "C alto,” the pitch of the horn is clearly
associated with the key of F. In fact, the range required for Horn in F is
from (transposing) g1 to g3, not altogether impossible considering the de­
mands made upon horn players by Bach’s contemporaries and successors.32
Unfortunately, in measures 53-54 the horn has an octave jump sounding
d1 to d2 ( ^transposing a1 to a2 ), the first note of which is not part of the
harmonic series of the horn in F. This one difficulty may be explained by
either a primitive hand-stopping of the imperfect seventh partial, by facti­
tiously obtaining the desired note through lipping down the b-flat, or by
selecting a horn in C basso, in which case the entire piece is within the

10
harmonie series ( Example 5 ). The problem with the last solution lies in
the extreme range of the horn (up to the 32nd partial (h32)), which

Example 5. Cantata BWV 109, No. 1, mm. 1-2. (a) Non-transposing

(Autograph), (b) Transposing (Reconstructed for Horn in F).
(c) (d) Mm. 53-54, transposing (Horn in F and В basso)

<0-

i I lies
t).

TffiniTrmrfff
c).

¿■) IK. F
m ψ
4, 4·
* #

4 4· M C UtfA

II bJU" §
would make it the highest note ever written for horn in any transposed
part ( c4 ) -33 Also, against the low C horn is the high partial which begins
the movement ( h21 ). The most likely solution to this complex problem
is that Reiche developed an imperfect method of sounding, for very brief
periods, notes not part of the harmonic series, through either one of the
two most practical methods mentioned above. It would, however, be a
grave mistake to cite this horn part without further evidence as proof of
pre-Hampel hand-stopping.34

Bach seldom used horns pitched in C; they appear only in Cantata

BWV 65 (transposing, obbligato parts), Cantata BWV 109 (at least in
movement six as described in footnote33), and Cantata BWV 16 (as both
transposing and non-transposing instruments ). There is a divided opinion
over whether Bach meant his horns to be pitched in C alto or C basso.
According to Mattheson and Johann Philipp Eisel, C alto instruments were
a standard pitch for the Waldhorn, the use of which continued in Germany
until the nineteenth century.35 There exist, however, several fine examples
of both alto and basso parforce Jagdhorns dating from Bach’s time. Since
the horn writing in one movement of Cantata BWV 16 appears to require
a C basso instrument, and since such instruments existed, we must question
Mattheson’s accuracy in this matter.

II
 About the Affekt of BWV 65, Arnold Schering writes:
To the Leipzig master . . . appeared the vision of an endless
caravan of splendid figures, surging ever closer with its host of
camels, to the accompaniment of the ceremonial sounds of royal
musicians. And so he based the first movement of his Epiphany
Cantata on the image of a march scene ... for it is plain that the
main theme is conceived with the rocking and swaying of the
camel train in mind, and the choice of the horns made with the
intent to lend the whole a tinge of the exotic.36
To which Horace Fitzpatrick adds:
The writer is firmly convinced that Cantata 65 is intended
for horns in C basso . . . the pastoral quality of the piece calls for
the softer timbre of the traditional C Waldhorn; the absence of
drum parts further indicates that the martial brilliance of the
C alto horn is not desired; and the spacing of the string parts is
decidedly sympathetic to the lower horns.37
A convincing argument may be made in favor of the high horns, how­
ever. According to Mattheson in 1713, the "traditional: Waldhorn was
pitched in C alto, not low C as Fitzpatrick contends. Furthermore, far from
being an exotic instrument, the C alto horn was the standard hand-horn
pitch for the horn with no crooks attached up through the early part of
the next century.38
As for the Affekt, the complete text of the first chorus is as follows:
Sie werden alle aus Saba kommen They shall all come from Sheba,
Gold und Weihrauch bringen bringing gold and incense, and
Und des Herren Lob verkündigen. proclaiming the praise of the Lord.
In my judgment, the Affekt of this text is more one of praise and
jubilation than of camel trains and exotic, marching caravans. The use of
C alto instruments would certainly outline the words des Herren Lob
verkündigen, and the sparkle of gold would be reflected by the brilliance
of the horns. In the second aria (No. 6), the first words are: Nimm mich
dir zu eigen hin ("Take me to thine own”). While this admittedly could
be more thoughtful and introspective, it is not at all unreasonable to con­
sider it a picture of brilliant faith, in which a mortal soul is requesting that
the glories of heaven be revealed to him. In Cantata BWV 16, the glorious
Affekt of the text:
Lasst uns jauchzen, lasst uns freuen, Let us shout! Let us rejoice!
Krönt und Segenet, Gottes Gut und Crowned and blessed, God’s goodness
Treu Bleibet alle Morgen neu. and Faith remains forever new.

12
is obviously one of jubilation. When performed in C basso, such affects
are not, in this writer’s opinion, projected to the fullest.39
There are several musical reasons for believing that C alto horns were
intended. The first concerns the limited range of the horns in BWV 65,
the highest note in the first movement being transposing a2, and in the
aria transposing b-flat2, lower than many other transposing parts written
by Bach. The range of the C alto horn, usually from transposing c1 to a2,
would have been similar to that of the C trumpet, if switch players like
Reiche were available. Even so, the highest register of the horn in BWV 65
is used only in passing, and the horn players are not required to dwell upon
the high a2 or b-flat2 for any great length of time. Given the range and
scope of Bach’s other parts, such as that of BWV 109 composed only a
few months earlier, it might be reasonable to assume that if a C basso horn
had been meant, Bach certainly would have made more use of the highest
partials in which he could have used a greater variety of notes and modu­
lations. In BWV 109, No. 6, for instance, Bach’s writing for what appears
to be a C basso horn in a cantus firmus uses a great many of the chromatic
partials in a range from transposing d2 to e3. As it stands now, BWV 65
is extremely conservative horn writing compared with other pieces com­
posed about the same time if the horns are pitched in C basso.
Another indication in favor of the alto horns is their place in the
score, filling in the gap between the high recorders and low oboi da caccia.
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, in his recent release of the cantata using eighteenth-
century instruments, recognizes this problem:
"Perhaps . . . the high-pitched horns are intended in order
to fill the very considerable space beetween the deeply pitched
oboi da caccia and the very high recorders.”40
The main objection to the use of C alto horns seems to be a practical
one: the inability of most modern players to play their modern instruments
in the high register at the slow tempo that most modern conductors take in
the piece. While this objection may be valid for modern usage, Bach’s
horn player for BWV 65 was in all likelihood the clarinist, Reiche, who
was already accustomed to playing in the high range. In the autograph
score, Bach does not give any tempo indication and the metrical marking
of 12/8 does not necessarily mean that the piece is a pastoral or oriental
march. (Such a meter is used by Bach in the Gigue of the Suite for Solo
’Cello No. 3, which is anything but slow and stately.)41
While it is impossible to state definitively that C alto horns were
what Bach intended for works calling for "Horn in C,” a convincing case
may be made for the alto instruments on the evidence of the theorists like

13
Mattheson and Eisel, on the surviving specimens, on the continuing popu­
larity of the C alto instrument after Bach’s death, on the joyous Affekt
with which Bach uses C horns, and on the position in the score’s wind
section between the recorders and oboi da caccia, the limited range, and
the metrical markings.
Hardly less perplexing than the alto-basso controversy is the still out­
standing mystery of Bach’s corno da tirarsi, or slide-horn. This unique in­
strument appears in three early Leipzig cantatas composed during 1723-24:
BWV 46, where it is perhaps designated as an alternate to the tromba da
tirarsi*·1, BWV 67, and BWV 162. The parts themselves are extremely
chromatic, which makes playing them on a natural horn without hand­
stopping impossible. After 1724, the corno da tirarsi vanishes without a
trace, although the more common slide-trumpet continues to be used even
after Bach’s time.
Terry believed that the slide-horn was nothing more than a normal
slide-trumpet played with a horn mouthpiece, noting that a true slide-horn
was impossible at that time due to the conical bore of the instrument. This
notion was disproved by Morley-Pegge, who pointed out that the French
use conical "horn” mouthpieces on their cornets and trombones. Both of
these instruments retain their characteristic sound regardless of the mouth­
piece.43 He suggested that the corno da tirarsi was an alternate designation
for the slide-trumpet in an age of uncertain instrumental names, using the
similarity between the parts for tromba da tirarsi and corno da tirarsi as
evidence for his assertion. Though the question is still unanswered, most
modern scholars have subscribed to this theory on the grounds that it is
the most workable.44

While it may not be possible to solve this mystery without either a

surviving example or a contemporaneous reference to a performance with
one of these instruments, certain faas may be gleaned from circumstantial
evidence. So far as this writer is aware, the corno da tirarsi is a local Leipzig
phenomenon, an instrument used solely by Bach. It appears only three times,
between the years 1723 and 1725. Bach’s designation of the instrument
in his scores would seem to indicate that he, at least, regarded it as a sepa­
rate instrument, not as an alternate name for the more common tromba,
for he continues to use the designation tromba da tirarsi even after the
slide-horn is no longer called for.

A slide-horn is, in itself, an impossibility, but perhaps a slide-crook

is not. Anthony Baines, though he does not comment directly on the
mystery, states that for a horn in A, a slide need only be extended 9 centi­
meters (c. 4 in.) to lower the harmonic series by a half-step.45 Extra-

14
polating from this idea, I would like to suggest a possible solution to this
mystery.
Perhaps the corno da tirarsi did not refer to a separate instrument at
ail, but rather to a detachable, sliding crook that would fit a normal Wald­
horn. Because the main instrument would still be conical in bore, the horn
sound would have been retained, and the cylindrical slide would have
allowed a change in the overtone series without affecting the tone. That
such a slide-crook need not be conical may be seen from the surviving
crooks for horns from the last half of the same century, most of which are
perfectly cylindrical.46 If this hypothesis is correct, then the length of draw
would have been around Baines’s 9 centimeters, and the music itself should
prove to be bidiatonic or tridiatonic, fitting into two or three different
harmonic series a whole- or half-step apart. An examination of the three
works in question shows that, indeed, this criterion is met. Cantata BWV
46 lies in the keys of F and E, Cantata BWV 67 in the keys of A and
G-sharp, and Cantata BWV 162 in the keys of C alto, B alto, and B-flat
alto, the middle, an exact example of the bi-diatonicism required in Baines’s
suggestion (Example 6). BWV 162 presents a particular problem, for
Bach allows the instrumental part to cover three harmonic series. However,
the 9 centimeters draw need only be increased to about 11 to 12 centimeters
(c. 5 in.) to accommodate three different series at C alto. By utilizing the
same draw, a horn so equipped would be almost fully chromatic in the
lower register, as appears to be the case with this tri-diatonic part (Exam­
ple 6b). It should be noticed that, of the three cantatas, two (BWV 46 and
BWV 162) involve the standard pitch Waldhorn described by Mattheson.
In addition, the other movements of BWV 46 and BWV 67 which use the
horn may be played on regular, non-slide instruments.47 If a detachable
slide were handy, the player could easily have reverted to his normal instru­
ment. This special crook could have been manufactured by a maker of
Eichentopf’s caliber, and might simply have worn out, perhaps more rapidly
than most regular crooks, due to friction.

15
Example 6. Cantata BWV 67, No. 1, mm. 25-34. (a) Horn in A, original
transposing notation. Below, horn in A with g-sharp slide-
crook in dual transposing notation, (b) Cantata BWV 162,
No. 1, mm. 1-4, 16-21. Corno da tirarsi in C alto, original
transposing notation. Below, horn in C alto with crook allow­
ing B alto and В-flat alto, in triple transposing notation.
*■)■

:.A

.гг» Л/
bf

ve
«j*.
s
кВ
•u»
M Г
wlV
«Mb

·**» J\ л/ι ft Ari f\Q

uB
ÏÏU u
s?
One argument against such a sliding crook may be the playing posi­
tion of the performer. Most illustrations showing hornists of that time
depict this position as bell-up, which, as Anthony Baines points out, pro-

16
motes a great deal of stress on the attached crooks and couplers of the
Baroque horn.48 In reality, though most pictures do show the playing posi­
tion in this manner, there is not enough evidence to prove that every player
adhered to this convention. Indeed, at least one modern scholar has sug­
gested that the bell-up position is merely an artist’s convention to depict
the horns more graphically.49 In any case, we cannot use such portrayals as
Hausmanns painting of Reiche as evidence of horn or trumpet playing
positions without further concrete proof.
It must be stressed that this hypothesis is most tentative. Without
more evidence, a definitive solution cannot be obtained. However, the
slide-crook theory appears to fit most of the theoretical and musical re­
quirements of the corno da tirarsi, and does not suffer the contradictions
of previous theories.
With an outstanding player like Reiche at his command, Bach’s horn
parts moved from the hunting-inspired, low motives to high, brilliant,
sophisticated lines. Though Bach never really forgot his first efforts at
writing for this instrument, the hunt became secondary, and he began to
recognize the affinity of the horn to the human voice and as a solo instru­
ment in its own right. Modern horn players complain of the difficulties of
Bach’s parts, but most of Bach’s own musicians were clarino players to
whom the horn was a secondary instrument on which the upper partials
were easier due to the relatively low pitch. In performance of these works
today, perhaps it would be a worthy experiment to cultivate such "switch”
players; i.e., those who have mastered the clarino trumpet and then applied
their knowledge to horn playing, using replicas of existing Baroque instru­
ments with newly-made crooks and shallow-cup, trumpet-like mouthpieces.
In this way, perhaps, the intentions of Bach’s horn parts could be realized
and the true accomplishments of the high-water mark of Baroque horn­
playing revealed.

Footnotes
24 Charles Terry, Bach’s Orchestra (London, 1932), pp. 44 and 191.
See also, Janetzky, p. 97.
25 Morley-Pegge, pp. 144-145. See also, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, "Notes” to Cantatas
BWV 51-56 (Telefunken 6.353004EX), pp. 8-9. For an opposing view, see
Murray Barbour, Trumpets, Horns, and Music (East Lansing, 1964), pp. 69-70.
Barbour mentions several possible parts on the В-flat basso horn, but there is no
evidence that such an instrument existed before Hampel’s В-flat basso crook of
c. 1753. See, Fitzpatrick, p. 222.
24 See the facsimile of the Corno part to Cantata BWV 140, NBA, Ser. I, Bd. 27
(Kassel, 1954), p. XL The exception is Cantata BWV 109, No. 1. For a facsimile
of this part, see Janetzky, p. 85.
27 Autograph part (Unnumbered) in the Bach Archives, Leipzig. See, Nikolaus
Harnoncourt, "Notes” to Cantatas BWV 65-68 (Telefunken 6.35335EX), p. 14.

17
M In the compilation of Table I, several things were used to determine the best pos­
sible natural horn: the range of the parts, the best possible harmonic series, the
highest and lowest notes, the chromaticism, the specific lengths of any problematic
notes, and the available instruments. Thus the horn in Cantata BWV 105, No. 5
is listed in E-flat, although it is playable in B-flot alto, using the facititious note a1.
The part appears to have been added in the autograph (Bach Archive, Leipzig)
to the first violin part as an afterthought. Therefore, it is written in non-transpos­
ing notation. It does lie well in E-flat, the range being up to transposing g3. This
high note was used in works by Zalenka {Capriccio No. 1 in D), Telemann
("Steinmetz” concerto in D, c. 1740), Stamitz (No. 3, Symphony in E-flat, c.
1740), and in several later works of the same century, the most famous being
Mozart’s Duos for Two Horns, K. 496a and Joseph Haydn’s trio. Pietà di me
(both in E-flat).
19 Terry, p. 44. A paper on Bach’s brass parts was given by Stuart Frankel of New
York University at the 1979 American Musicological Society meeting in New York
City. In his discussion, and in that of his respondents, the possibility of these parts
being played on natural horns never arose. In a private conversation on this topic,
Mr. Frankel rejected the possibility on the grounds that the parts were written in
non-transposing notation.
30 Fitzpatrick, p. 77.
31 Autograph in the Bach Archive, Leipzig. Facsimile reproduced in Janeezky, p. 85.
33 See particularly the minuet from a Symphony in G by Johann Stamitz (DTB III,
G 7 ), in which the horns, in G, ascend to sounding c3 (transposing g3).
33 The highest written note so far discovered is h27 (a3) in a Symphony in C by
Adam Vechtner. See Barbour, p. 112. In favor of C basso horns in BWV 109 is
No. 6, Chorale, where all of the notes may be obtained only with such an instru­
ment. Since the opening notes of No. 1 require much space above the staff, it is
not unreasonable to speculate that Bach wrote the movement in non-transposing
notation in order to show the part clearly, and to keep it within range of c1 to d3,
as he does with transposing parts.
34 Morley-Pegge, p. 87. All modern scholars agree that Hampel did not invent hand­
stopping out of thin air, but that it was probably a local Dresden practice common
to second horn players. A curious reference by Mattheson (Der vollkomene Capell-
meister (Hamburg, 1739), p. 53) may refer to a blind player’s mastery of this
technique some fifteen years before Hampel.
35 Mattheson, Orchestre, p. 267. Johann Eisel, Musicus Autodidácticas (Erfurt, 1738),
p. 75. See also, H. Dommnich, Methodé de Premier et Second Cor (Paris, 1807),
p. 13, "Ce ton ont toujours usité en Allemagne.” Keiser’s horns in Octavia are in
C alto. The writer hopes to deal with the question of C alto horn usage in the
Classical Era in a future article.
36 Quoted in Janetzky, p. 89.
37 Fitzpatrick, p. 77, who states that it is his own personal preference for C basso
instruments.
38 Fitzpatrick, p. 146. See also, Dommnich, p. 13. Dommnich states that the range of

the C alto instrument, in terms of his students in 1807, is from c to a2. This sug­
gests that even as late as this date, the first movement of BWV 65 could have been
negotiated by good players.
39 The lack of timpani has an explanation. Due to the small size of the score paper,
the timpani (and occasionally the trumpets) were written out separately or impro­
vised on the spot from thè" second trumpet part (or, in this case, second horn).
Bach does not use horns with timpani until BWV 91, composed in December of
1724, and even then only with horns pitched in G, even though the higher pitches
of A and В-flat have been used previously. "G” remains the standard pitch of
horns for the addition of timpani until BWV 143 in 1734.
40 Nikolaus Harnoncourt, "Notes” to Cantatas BWV 65-68 (Telefonken 6.35335EX),
p. 13. Harnoncourt explains that "the only possible modern solution is to perform
them in C basso." Helmut Rilling (Cantata BWV 65, Claudius Verlag CLV
71950) does use C alto horns, and Harnoncourt’s previous horn soloist, Hermann
Baumann, has at least twice before ascended above the range required in BWV 65

18
 (in B WV 14 and BWV 24). The brilliant effect of the Rilling performance sub­
stantiates Harnoncourt’s statements about the place of the C alto horn as "score
filler.”
41 Only Killing’s version attempts a faster tempo. There are, it is true, examples of
definite slow 12/8 movements, the best known example being the so-called "Pas­
toral Symphony” from Handel’s Messiah.
42 The score reads "tromba о corno da tirarsi,” which means one of two things; two
separate instruments, or tromba, also known as corno da tirarsi. As Bach frequently
designates tromba da tirarsi by itself, it is most probable that the former meaning
is meant.
43 Terry, pp. 34-36. Morley-Pegge, p. 147.
44 Barbour, pp. 69-70. Anthony Baines, Brass Instruments (London, 1976), p. 180.
Several examples of slide-trumpets exist, the best being by Veit dated 1651, cur­
rently in the Berlin Institute for Music Research. Harnoncourt states that he used
a corno da tirarsi in his recording of BWV 46 (Telefunken 6.35283EX), though
in sound it is identical to a trumpet. Accompanying notes identify it as English,
and therefore it most probably is an example of what Baines (p. 181) describes
as a "flatt trumpet,” i.e., an English slide-trumpet, not a horn. Purcell requires a
flati trumpet in his incidental music to The Libertine (1692).
45 Baines, p. 180.
46 Baines, p. 181. See also, Fitzpatrick, p. 127. The modern valved horn incorporates
both conical and cylindrical tubing without loss of characteristic sound.
47 Authentic parts in the Bach Archive, Leipzig. BWV 46 requires a tirarsi instru­
ment only in No. 1. No. 3 is playable by a horn in В-flat alto (written in trans­
posing notation ), and No. 6 is non-transposing for horn in F. Both other move­
ments of BWV 67 are non-transposing for horn in E, and are simply designated
corno
48 Baines, pp. 157-158.
49 Ibid, p. 158. See, also, Fitzpatrick, pp. 84-85.

19
 TABLE 1
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF BACH’S WORKS
INVOLVING THE HORN

Date/Place Work Movement Bach’s Name Probable Key No.

1. 2/23 Was mir behagt 2. Aria Corne da caccia J F 2

1713 WR BWV 208 11. Coro J F 2
15. Coro J F 2
2. 1719 (?) Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 Come da caccia J F 2
К BWV 1046
3. 6/30 Ein ungefärbt 3. Coro Clarino J(W) Eb* 1
1723 L Gemüthe 6. Choral Clarino J(W) F* 1
BWV 24
4. c. 7/18 Erforsche mich 1. Coro Corno W A 1
1723 L BWV 136 6. Choral W A* 1
5. c. 7/25 Herr, gehe nicht 1. Coro Corno (ed Oboe) W(C?)D*+G* 1
1723 L ins Gericht 5. Aria Corno W Eb* 1
BWV 105 or (Bb alt * )
6. c. 8/1 Schauet doch 1. Coro Tromba о Corno S F-E* 1
1723 L BWV 46 da Tirarsi
3. Aria Corno W Bb alt 1
6. Choral Corno da t. w F* 1
7. c. 9/12 Christus, der 1. Coro Cornettino W(C?)G*+F* 1
1723 L ist mein Leben 6. Choral W D* 1
BWV 95
8. c. 10/10 Ach, ich sehe 1. Aria Corno da tirarsi S C-B-Bb alt 1
1723 L BWV 162 6. Choral S C-B-Bb alt 1
9. c. 10/17 Ich glaube, 1. Coro Corno du chasse J F* 1
1723 L lieber Herr 6. Choral J C basso 1
BWV 109
10. c. 10/24 Was soll ich aus 1. Aria Corno W F* 1
1723 L dir machen? 6. Choral W Bb ah* 1
BWV 89
11. c. 11/7 О Ewigkeit, 1. Duet Corno W D* 1
1723 L О Donnerwort 5. Chorál W A* 1
BWV 60
12. c. 12/26 Dazu ist 1. Coro Corne W F 2
1723 L erschienen 3. Choral W F* 1
BWV 40 6. Choral W F* 1
7. Aria W F 2
8. Choral W Eb* 1
13. c. 1/6 Sie werden alle 1. Coro Corni W C alt 2
1724 L aus Saba 6. Aria W Galt 2
BWV 65

20
Date/Place Work Movement Bach’s Name Probable Key No.

14. c. 1/23 Herr, wie do 1. Coro Corno W Eb* 1

1724 L willst [ossia Organo]
BWV 73 5. Choral Corno W F* 1
15. c. 2/2 Erfreute Zeit 1. Coro Corne J F 2
1724 L BWV 83
16. c. 4/16 Hält im 1. Coro Corno da tirarsi S A-G# 1
1724 L Gedächtnis 4. Choral W E* 1
BWV 67 7. Choral W E* 1
17. c. 7/23 Was willst du 1. Coro Corno da caccia J D* 1
1724 L BWV 107 7. Choral J D* 1
18. c. 7/30 Wo Gott der 1. Coro Corno J G* 1
1724 L Herr nicht 7. Choral J G* 1
bei uns
BWV 178
19. c. 9/10 Jesu, der du 1. Coro Corno W F* 1
1724 L meine Seele 7. Choral W F* 1
BWV 78
20. c. 9/17 Was Gott tut 1. Coro Corno W D* 1
1724 L BWV 99 6. Choral W D* 1
21. c. 9/24 Liebster Gott 1. Coro Corno W E* 1
1724 L BWV 8 6. Choral W E* 1
22. c. 10/1 Ach, lieben 1. Coro Corno W Eb* 1
1724 L Christen 7. Choral W Eb* 1
BWV 114
23. c. 10/8 Herr Christ, 1. Coro Corno W D* 1
1724 L der einige (e trombone)
Gottesohn 6. Choral Corno W F* 1
BWV 96
24. c. 11/5 Mache dich, 1. Coro Corno W D* 1
1724 L mein Geist 6. Choral J G* 1
BWV 115
25. c. 11/19 Ach wie flüchtig 1. Coro Corno J G* 1
1724 L BWV 26 6. Choral J G* 1
26. c. 11/26 Du Friedefürst 1. Coro Corno W E* 1
1724 L BWV 116 6. Choral W E* 1
27. c. 12/3 Nun kommt der 1. Coro Corno W A* 1
1724 L Heiden Heiland 6. Choral W A* 1
BWV 62
28. c. 12/25 Gelobest seist 1. Coro Corni da caccia J G 2
1724 L du Jesu 6. Choral J G 2
BWV 91
29. c. 1/7 Meinen Jesum 1. Coro Corno W E* 1
1725 L lass ich nicht 6. Choral W E* 1
BWV 124

21
Date/Place Work Movement Bach’s Name Probable Key No.

30. c. 1/14 Ach Gott, 6. Choral Corno W E* 1

1725 L wie manches
Herzeleid
BWV 3
31. c. 2/2 Mit Fried 1. Coro Corno W D* 1
1725 L und Freud 6. Choral W D# 1
BWV 125
32. c. 3/25 Wie schön 1. Coro Corne da caccia J F 2
1725 L leuchtet 6. Choral J F 2
BWV 1
33. c. 5/10 Auf Christi 1. Coro Corni da caccia J G 2
1725 L Himmelfahrt 5. Choral J G 2
BWV 128
34. c. 5/21 Also hat Gott 1. Choral Corne C 1
1725 L BWV 68 (No. 6 Cornetto)
35. c. 8/3 Zerreiset, 1. Coro Corni du chasse J D 2
1725 L zerspringet 2. Recitative J D 2
BWV 205 11. Aria ................... J D 2
15. Coro J D 2
36. c. 10/31 Gott, der Herr, 1. Coro Corni da caccia J G 2
1725 L ist Sonne und 3. Choral J G 2
Schild 6. Choral J G 2
BWV 79
37. c. 1/1 Herr Gott, wir 1. Coro Corno da caccia J В bassa* 1
1726 L loben dich 3. Aria J Galt 1
BWV 16 6. Choral J F* 1
38. c. 7/21 Siehe, ich will 1. Aria Corni J G 2
1726 L BWV 88
39. c. 10/6 Wer weiss, 1. Coro Corno W Eb* 1
1726 L wie nahe 6. Choral W F 1
BWV 27
40. c. 11/24 Falsche Welt 1. Sinfonia Corni da caccia J F 2
1726 L BWV 52 6. Choral J F 2
41. 1726 (?) Mass 1. Kyrie Corni W F 2
L BWV 233 2. Gloria W F 2
42. 1728 (?) Dem Gerechten 6. Choral Corni J G 2
L muss das Licht
BWV 195
43. c. 6/6 Ich liebe 1. Sinfonia Corni da caccia J G 2
1729 L den Höchsten
BWV 174
44. c. 4/8 Derr Herr ist 1. Coro Corni J G 2
1730 L mein getreue 5. Choral J G 2
BWV 112

22
Date/Place Work Movement Bach’s Name Probable Key No.

45. c. 11/25 Wachetauf 1. Coro Corno W Eb* 1

1730 L BWV 140 7. Choral W Eb* 1
46. 1733 L Mass in В Minor 10. Quoniam Corne du chasse J D 1
BWV 232
47. c. 9/5 Lasst uns Sorgen 1. Coro Corne da caccia J F 2
1733 L BWV 213 13. Coro J F 2
48. c. 12/25 Christmas 36. Coro Corni da caccia J F 2
1734 L Oratorio, 42. Choral J F 2
Part IV
BWV 248
49. c. 1/30 Wär Gott 1. Coro Corno par force J F 1
1735 L nicht mit uns 2. Aria J Bb alt 1
BWV 14
50. 1735 (?) Lobeden Herrn 1. Coro Corni da caccia J Bb alt 3
L BWV 143 5. Aria J Bb alt 3
7. Choral J Bb alt 3
51. 1737 L O Jesu Christ Motet Litui J Bb alt 2
BWV 118
52. c. 8/30 Mer hahn 16. Aria Corno J G 1
1724 L BWV 212 18. Aria W D 1
53. 1749 (?) Was Gott tut Chorale Corni J G 2
L BWV 250
54. 1749 (?) Sei Lob und Ehr Chorale Corni J G 2
L BWV 251
55. 1749 (?) Nun Danket Chorale Corni J G 2
L BWV 252
56. (?) L Sinfonia Corni da caccia J F 2
BWV 1071
57. 1735-37 Was Gott tut 1. Coro Corni da caccia J G 2
L BWV 100 6. Choral J G 2
58. (?) L Sanctus Corni J F 2
Anh. 27
59. (?) L Sanctus Corni J Bb alt 2
BWV Anh. 28

Notes to Symbols:
J — Jagdhorn
W — Waldhorn
S — Slide-horn, or corno da tirarsi
C — Cornetto, or Zink
WR — Weimar
К — Göthen
L — Leipzig
* — Non-transposing instrumental part, i.e., in key of piece.

23
Van Boer, Bertil H., and Jr., "Observations on Bach's use of the horn. II", BACH: The quarterly journal
of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute 11/3 (Berea, OH: July 1980), 9-23.

Copyright © 1980 by Baldwin-Wallace College. All rights reserved. Content compilation copyright
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