The rozhok () is an ancient Russian wooden trumpet, a relative of the cornett, which has remained in continuous use until the present day.Baines A. (1967) Woodwind Instruments and their History Names
A rozhok can be called be various names: shepherd's horn (), Russian horn (), or song horn (). A popular variant is (, Vladimirskiy rozhok, "Vladimir horn"), due to the success of a chorus of rozhok players under the leadership of Nikolai Vasilyevich Kondratyev from the Vladimir region.Энциклопедия музыкальных инструментов - Владимирский Рожок
Structure A rozhok is a conical straight tube with the six playing holes: five on top and one underneath. The total length of a rozhok ranges from 320 to 830 mm (13" to 33"). A mouthpiece is cut in the form of a small cup, and the lower end of the tube is shaped like a conical bell. A rozhok is usually made of birch (mostly birch bark), maple, or juniper. In the past they were made in two halves fastened together with birch bark; today they are turned.Владимирский Рожок на Spacenation.info The sound of a rozhok is strong, but mellow, having a range of about an octave, or a little more. There are several types of rozhoks: the shortest one, having the highest sound is called vizgunok (squeaker), typically in F# or G; the longest and thus the lowest one is called bas (bass), in F# or G an octave below, while a mid-size instrument is called a polubasok (half-bass), typically in C. It is polubasok instruments that are most frequently used for solo playing. Rozhok ensembles usually consist of just vizgunok and bas instruments in the ratio 2:1 (twice as many high-pitched horns).
Varieties
As of 2015, rozhok ensembles exist in Moscow,МОСКОВСКИЙ ХОР РОЖЕЧНИКОВ VladimirАнсамбль "Владимирские рожечники" and Nerekhta.Народный коллектив фольклорный ансамбль "Нерехтские рожечники"
See also Russian horn orchestra Timeline of Russian inventions and technology records
References
External links Sound sample An article in Russian and photos A video documentary about Vladimirskiy Rozhok - from a series "Странствия музыканта" by Sergey Starostin
ru:Рожок