Musical instrument the violin, viola, baryton, and various lutes dominated popular music. Beginning in around 1750, however, the lute disappeared from musical compositions in favor of the rising popularity of the guitar. As the prevalence of string orchestras rose, wind instruments such as the flute, oboe, and bassoon were readmitted to counteract the monotony of hearing only strings. In the mid-seventeenth century, what was known as a hunter's horn underwent transformation into an "art instrument" consisting of a lengthened tube, a narrower bore, a wider bell, and much wider range. The details of this transformation are unclear, but the modern horn or,
Leblanc (musical instrument manufacturer) Leblanc (musical instrument manufacturer) Leblanc, Inc. was a musical instrument manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The company was a woodwind manufacturer known mainly for its clarinets. In 2004 the firm was sold to Conn-Selmer, a division of Steinway Musical Instruments. Leblanc has ceased to exist as an independent operation and has become a brand of Conn-Selmer. G. Leblanc Cie. was a French company founded by Georges Leblanc late in the 19th century, in La Couture-Boussey. In 1904 the company acquired Noblet, the oldest instrument manufacturer in France. In 1945, Léon Leblanc (1900–2000) met Vito Pascucci (1922–2003), then on duty as