Cornett

The cornett or cornetto is an early wind instrument, dating from the Renaissance period. It was used in what are now called alta capellas or wind ensembles. It is not to be confused with the cornet.

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The cornett takes the form of a tube, typically about 60 cm. long, made of ivory or wood with woodwind-style fingerholes. Usually the cornett is octagonal in cross-section, and it is wrapped in leather or parchment, with the fingerholes penetrating this cover. The cornett is slightly curved, normally to the right, so that the player's left hand, playing the upper holes, and her right hand, playing the lower holes, can more comfortably reach their proper locations. At the top of the cornett there is a small mouthpiece of the kind used in brass instruments; that is, it is vibrated with the lips.

Renaissance: The Renaissance, also known as "Il Rinascimento" (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. It marks the transitional period between the end of the Middle Ages and the s...

Alta capella: Alta capella is a term referring to the town wind bands found throughout continental Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries, and specifically to such bands consisting of shawms and slide trumpets or sackbuts....

Cornet: The cornet is a brass instrument that closely resembles the trumpet....