How Different are Cornets and Trumpets?

In the late nineteenth century, orchestral trumpet parts were frequently played on cornets. Today, orchestral cornet parts are usually played on trumpets. Does this matter? It is generally accepted that the designs of both instruments have converged since the introduction of the cornet, with the differences between trumpets and cornets becoming less obvious. The degree of this convergence, however, has not been so well understood. This article aims to elucidate the essential characters of the principal instruments which that have been designated by these names (and by the word “cornopean”). The phenomena of “conical-bore trumpets” and other hybrid instruments are discussed as well.