At first horns in Russia were used only in hunting with hounds, but gradually they began to be used as musical instruments proper. In 1751, Czech Jan Mares, who served as bandmaster for the Director of the Imperial Theatres Count Naryshkin, tuned up conventional hunting horns at semitones and created a horn music orchestra.

Jan Anton Mares

This horn music impressed the Russian Empress Elizabeth so much that she at once ordered a horn orchestra to be set up at her court. Horn music was gaining popularity quickly, with horn orchestras performing on all important occasions - receptions, state ceremonies, etc. Guests from abroad were specially impressed by this music and the horn orchestras were often invited to help make negotiations at a state level more successful. Every statesman was eager to have a horn orchestra of his own. Another field of horn music application was the Neva River Serenades, when the horn music players performed on boats passing along the Neva and the Fontanka rivers.

An animal horn was used by hunters for giving their signals.


Hunting Horn - Orchestra Horn, early 19th century - Orchestra Horn, late 19th century

The number of horn orchestras in Saint Petersburg and Moscow reached several dozen in a short time. In its full form, the horn orchestra had 91 horns and some 40 players. It is known that in Moscow many outstanding persons of the nobility had horn orchestras of their own - N. Sheremetev, B. Saltykov, P. Kolychev, Golitsyn, M. Demidov, D. Stolypin, P. Beketov, S. Chernyshova and P. Yushkov. In Saint Petersburg the owners of horn orchestras were G. Potyomkin, the brothers Naryshkin, G. Orlov, K. Razumovsky, A. Stroganov and Bezborodko, as well as the Guard Chasseurs and the Horse Guards. Two horn orchestras existed at the Tsar's court.

Horn Music Orchestras of the Past

The listeners were deeply impressed by the sounds of the horn music while professional musicians could only wonder how an orchestra, with each musician playing only one special note, were able to perform such rich and accomplished music.

But little by little horn music had to give way to the classical music instruments. Besides, botchy experiments to sophisticate horn instruments were detrimental to their sound and only sped up the disappearance of this unique kind of Russian music. In the 19th century the last attempt to revive a horn orchestra was made in 1896 prior to Nicholas II's Coronation Day. Yet, that attempt turned out to be a failure. Horn music fell into unjust oblivion and music historians thought it irrevocably lost.

Horn Orchestra Playing on Nicholas II's Coronation Day, the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow 14. May 1896