C. Zinzi & C. soprano

Manufactured by the historic Roman workshop C. Zinzi & C., this fascinating E♭ flicorno sopranino stands as one of the most mechanically unique and personally sentimental pieces in our entire museum. Beyond its rare Italian engineering, it carries a marvelous family folklore story.

This instrument has been part of my family's history for decades, lying in my parents' house for ages. My father originally acquired it during his college years in the 1960s from an acquaintance who cryptically claimed the instrument had simply "fallen from the back of a truck"—a classic, humorous provenance that has made it a beloved conversation piece for generations.

While labeled in Italy as a flicorno sopranino (soprano flugelhorn), a detailed comparative analysis against standard brass profiles reveals a tighter, less aggressive conical expansion than a traditional flugelhorn would feature. Because of this closer bore profile, the instrument has been officially categorized within my collection as an E♭ soprano rotary cornet.