I don't know if you have a big list drawn up somewhere (and it must be pretty big by now) but perhaps you could add to the list of instruments to record the coronet. Preferably one made around the turn of the century with a shepherds crook as (supposedly) these are the most mellow of the coronets.
The coronet seems to have fallen out of favor in the past century. Because of it's conical as opposed to straight bore, it blends remarkably well with other instruments (often more so than the brilliant/piercing trumpet.) I think it's probably gotten a bad reputation in the U.S. because beginning trumpet players use it as a stepping stone to the trumpet, hence it is not often heard performed by the best players (quite the opposite.) Also, a beat-up ratty-sounding coronet is still often used in dixieland music - but that's not the sound I'm interested in, of course.
I understand it was quite popular with French composers a century ago and was used as a virtuosic instrument.
Anyway, just a thought. And certainly I would be interested in sordino brass before the coronet.
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And before I forget - how about another obscure instrument for the double reed family: the Heckelphone (named after it's famous bassoon-making designer.) It looks like a giant oboe with a bulb at the end that rests on the floor. The sound is something like a mixture of the soprano sax, cor anglais, and bassoon - very exotic. I understand Strauss wrote for it, but not many other composers. It's fills a nice niche between the cor anglais and the bassoon, completing the double reed family.
I sampled one myself a while back, but did a poor job of it.
The coronet seems to have fallen out of favor in the past century. Because of it's conical as opposed to straight bore, it blends remarkably well with other instruments (often more so than the brilliant/piercing trumpet.) I think it's probably gotten a bad reputation in the U.S. because beginning trumpet players use it as a stepping stone to the trumpet, hence it is not often heard performed by the best players (quite the opposite.) Also, a beat-up ratty-sounding coronet is still often used in dixieland music - but that's not the sound I'm interested in, of course.
I understand it was quite popular with French composers a century ago and was used as a virtuosic instrument.
Anyway, just a thought. And certainly I would be interested in sordino brass before the coronet.
-----------------
And before I forget - how about another obscure instrument for the double reed family: the Heckelphone (named after it's famous bassoon-making designer.) It looks like a giant oboe with a bulb at the end that rests on the floor. The sound is something like a mixture of the soprano sax, cor anglais, and bassoon - very exotic. I understand Strauss wrote for it, but not many other composers. It's fills a nice niche between the cor anglais and the bassoon, completing the double reed family.
I sampled one myself a while back, but did a poor job of it.