Seraphinoff, Richard - Corno Da Capo: The Life and Adventures of an 18th Century Horn Player

“… I put my head in my hands for a few moments to try to grasp the situation. I was sitting in a dusty 18th century room with a young man dressed in a brown waistcoat, white ruffled shirt, and knee-length pants with silk stockings who was telling me in some sort of archaic German that it was 1770.”

Corno da Capo is a fantasy historical novel written especially for French horn players and musicians interested historical performance and music history. The general reader will also enjoy the story and learn much about European court musicians and traveling soloists in the last quarter of the 18th century.

The story follows the adventures of John Paulson, 21st century American horn player, who finds himself dropped into Paris in the year 1770, and how he survives and pursues a brilliant career as the 18th century Bohemian horn soloist Johann Palsa. Upon his arrival, he is befriended by horn player Carl Türrschmidt, and during their many adventures together, they become the most celebrated horn duo of the time.

This fictionalized story of these actual 18th century horn players, who were superstars during their lifetimes, is based on the relatively little information that has come down to us about them. The documented information about their lives is presented in the notes at the back of the book.