Serpent Forveille: site under construction

The serpent Forveille consists of three sections, a swan-shaped bocal, a "zagged middle" section of metal, and a J-shaped wooden bell-stock. Appearing in 1823 in Paris, the instrument also took its name from its inventor and seems to have been played more within a chamber music than military setting.

Hermenge's 1835 serpent Forveille treatise includes an impressive array of duets and caprices. With six fingerholes, no thumbhole, and 3-4 keys, the serpent Forveille may represent the best balance between a clear, upper third octave and a full, forceful bass register.