Professor Schmutzig and the Schmutzone 19 Valve Horn

One of the classic method books for the horn is the Complete Method für der Waldhorn oder der Ventilhorn by Professor Eric Von Schmutzig. Schmutzig according to the method was “Professor of Ventilhorns at der Borscht Conservatory of Lower Hamburg (mit onions).” It is, as you might guess, a book of horn humor. One running gag in the book is a series of advertisements for some product or other.

First, as to the book itself, it is a must have item for every advanced hornist! Lord knows we all need a good laugh. Published in 1949, it [UPDATED--and also see update at end of post] is still in print and modestly priced at $5! [Publisher link]

Although the book says that “Any similarity between persons or products mentioned in this book, and real persons or real products, is certainly coincidental,” I have long thought that the Schmutzig character and publication was based loosely and hopefully affectionately on Lorenzo Sansone, the subject of my previous post on Horn Matters. As noted there, he was a very enterprising hornist, and as a part of that did promote his instruments and other products in his publications. In the Schmutzig Method the advertisements start with a text advertisement to “Buy der new Schmutzig 19 Valve Horn!” of which it explains,

To play mit der utmost facility and beauty of tone, no hornplayer should be mitout this wonderfully marvelous instrument! This horn, which is made from the finest imported Czechoslovakian Copper and stained steel will be completely illustrated and explained later in this book.

Manufactured by der Schmutzone Horn Manufacturing Company, makers of the famous Schmutzone 16, 17, and 18 Valve Horns.

Next we have an advertisement for their line of mouthpieces including their “famous patented Schmutzone Double Mouthpiece model 22 for der famous Schmutzone double horn,” and finally the advertisement which illustrates the 19 valve horn, which has an “electrical spitvalve mechanism.” It looks a bit like the horn Dennis Brain used, no?

This is not actually the only Schmutzig publication. Willem von Schmutzig, “prize pupil” of Eric von Schmutzig, later published the Incomplete Method fur die Holzblasinstrumente, described more fully here.

If it the horn method was inspired by Sansone I don’t know [Sansone/Schmutzone] but it is one to ponder.

UPDATE: For other sources for purchase of this book, this is the listing from Sheet Music Plus, for example, and the cover image above is linked from their listing. Amazon has it used but quite overpriced. Also, for your string-playing friends there is in the same series Der Completely Abridged Method Fur Das Bass.