by Rick Seraphinoff

Corno da Capo, the first historical novel written especially for horn players, is now available worldwide on Amazon. My intention in writing the book was to present all the current research into horn history and natural horn playing technique in a fun adventure story that will be enjoyable to read. You’ll get to meet the most famous horn duo of the 18th century, Johann Palsa and Carl Türrschmidt, as well as other prominent horn soloists like Beate Pokorny and Giovanni Punto, with guest appearances by Punto’s dog Hans-Joachim, Mozart’s dog Bimprel, (Mozart really did have a dog named Bimprel!) and a host of other composers, musicians, and historical figures. Horn players and all musicians interested in late 18th century performance practice can enjoy the fun and adventurous story while learning about a pivotal period of horn history and what it was like to be a court musician and traveling horn soloist at the time. The well-researched story is based on what we know about the actual lives of these prominent 18th century horn soloists – with a large dose of creative license. Documentation of their lives, historical notes, and a bibliography appear at the end of the book so that serious students of horn history can sort out fact from fiction.

Richard Seraphinoff is Professor of Horn at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. For nearly 40 years, Professor Seraphinoff has specialized in crafting and teaching instruments of the 18th and 19th centuries.

www.seraphinoff.com

Horns-a-Plenty Christmas is celebrating its 20th year, and just this past Friday, December 10, the group opened the season with its first-ever concert in Memphis, Tennessee, where forty horn players came together for a grand public performance of holiday music. On Saturday, December 18, 2021, guest artist Greta Richard from The President’s Own Marine Band will be performing with Horns-a-Plenty Christmas in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Recently, Donald Krause, founder of Horns-A-Plenty Christmas, suffered chest pains associated with a chronic heart ailment. He has since become the first patient to undergo a successful new therapy for this condition. For Donald, the benefits of volunteering for this clinical trial were twofold: the opportunity to contribute to science in a way that could potentially help others suffering from heart disease; and, the hope that such an intervention might allow him to continue playing his horn for many years to come.

“I’m 81 years old now, but I’d like to play my French horn until I’m at least 91…and maybe even 101,” said Krause. “Music is obviously very important to me, but so is good health. I’ve seen a lot of people die from heart disease over the years, and I hope that my participation in this trial today might help many thousands of people in the future.”

Happy holidays to all from Horns-a-Plenty!

Watch We Wish You a Merry Christmas at the Capitol Rotunda in Madison, Wisconsin.

Watch Cherry Tree Carol at the Capitol Rotunda in Madison, Wisconsin.