Etruscans Now
Music
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Holmes, Peter -
The development of the Etruscan Lituus and Cornu
The two principle brass (lip-reed) instruments of the Etruscans, the lituus and cornu, appeared for the first time in Etruscan iconography and finds and the many changes that the underwent are well documented in the Etruscan iconography. Extant cornua and their mouthpieces provide evidence for the use of the earliest developed mouthpieces, along with valuable clues as to how these instruments were used in performance. This evidence, together with the iconography, enables replicas to be made which provide some idea of the potential musical performances that were heard in Etruscan times. The Etruscans bequeathed their instruments to both the Romans and Celts, ensuring that their musical instruments lived on after them.