The Russian Horn Capella

Comments on Russian Horn Music

The late 18th century and early 19th century

"The rudeness of the hunting horns was all transformed by Count Naryshkin.
What made wild animals flee before now sounds pleasant to the most demanding ear"

- M. Lomonosov

"Here the Muses sang, here the animals lived for sports and here the pleasant sounds of horns came from afar ...."

- from the memoirs pf the poet G. Derzhavin, about the Traskoye Selo entertainments in 1770 for Prince Heinrich of Prussia

"This horn music is a delightful feature of Russia. Its harmony, heard from a distance, seems to be coming from Heaven. The magic of this fantastic music is such that no one could imagine it unless he experienced it."

- Paris actress Louise Fusille, about her first visit to St. Petersburg in 1806

"By its arrangement and sounds and by the impression it produces on a listener, this is absolutely new and unique music, with which nothing can be compared in grandeur and pleasantness."

- Jacob Schtepin, music scholar

"At the end of this summer I often heard the count Narryshin horn orchestra playing on the Neva river. Some pieces made truely a magical impression on me."

- M. Glinka, composer

"The horn players played with such speed and accuracy that would be unusual even with string instruments. Just imagine how more difficult it is to perform with such speed and accuracy for a band of horn players, each of whom can play only one note! Had I not heard it with my own years, I would have thought it just impossible."

- Louis Spohr, composer

"On the hot summer evening, as I was sitting at my desk, I suddenly saw Grigory Orlov going on his yacht down the Never river, with a file of boats of his servants behind and one boat in front with some 40 lads playing music I had never heard before "

- Academician Spezer

"In such large space no other instrument can produce an effect comparable to the one made by these horns with their trembling and seething sounds ...."

- I. H. Ginrichs

The composer and music scholar Fetis compares a horn orchestra with an immaculately tuned and balanced organ, and said that the beauty of the basses of a horn orchestra was unattainable on any other musical instrument.

Reviews and comments about the only European tour of a Russian horn orchestra in 1830-1835 can be found in newspapers of that time: "Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung", No. 40, 1833, p.637; No. 13, 1834, pp. 207-208; No. 23, 1834, p. 324; and in "Neue Zeitschrift fur Musick", 1835, pp. 39-40.

The early 21st century

"The Russian Horn Cappella is an absolutely unique orchestra of fantastic sounds "

- Andrei Petrov, a composer

"This wonderful orchestra will perform brilliantly at the world's best concert halls "

- Prof. Andrei Glukhov, Honored Artist of Russia

"I am deeply impressed ...."

- Hermann Baumann, noted horn player from Germany

"Bravo and great thanks for your wonderful music".

- Io Haasen, Danish musician

"It's unbelievable that each musician plays only one note"

- Georgy Strautman, Honored Artist of Russia

"The further development of your unique orchestra is a matter of state importance. Thank you for your deeds!"

- Valeriya Mikh, teacher

"Never in my life have i heard anything like your music!"

- Yuri Soldatenkov

"Your music is the best present for my birthday !!!"

- Darya Bylinkina

"Thank you for this miracle that I will never forget. I am 82 years old "

- A charming woman at a performance