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Euphonium

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4-valved euphonium
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4-valved euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonion, meaning "beautiful-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ("eu" means "well" (understood as "good") and "phonium" means "voice"). The euphonium is a valved instrument, and nearly all models are piston valved, though German rotary valved models do exist.

A person who plays euphonium is sometimes called a euphoniumist.

Contents

Construction and general characteristics

The euphonium is pitched in concert B-flat (Bb), meaning that when no valves are depressed the instrument will produce partials of the B-flat harmonic series. In the United States, music for the instrument is usually written in the bass clef at concert pitch (that is, without transposition), though treble-clef euphonium parts, transposing down a major ninth, are often included in school-level concert band music for the sake of students who have recently switched from the trumpet, or who play trumpet and are doubling on euphonium. In the brass band tradition, especially in the United Kingdom, euphonium music is always written this way. In continental European music, parts for the euphonium are sometimes written in the bass clef but a major second higher than sounding pitch.

Current professional models have three top-action valves, played with the first three fingers of the right hand, plus a "compensating" fourth valve found midway down the right side of the instrument, played with the left index finger. Beginner models often have only the three top-action valves, while some intermediate "student" models may have a fourth top-action valve, played with the fourth finger (the "pinky") of the right hand; such an instrument is shown in the above picture. Compensating systems are expensive to build, and there is in general a wide discrepancy between the costs of compensating and non-compensating models. For a thorough discussion of the valves and the compensation system, see the article on brass instruments.

The euphonium has an extremely large functional range compared to cylindrical-bore instruments; professional players can commonly produce notes up to F six ledger lines above the bass clef or even higher, though fourth ledger line Bb is a normal limit for younger players. On the bottom end, the true (non-pedal) range of compensating four-valve euphoniums goes down to B-natural below the bass clef up to in professional hands, though if the fourth valve is non-compensating the lowest non-pedal tone available is C, a half-step higher. If the instrument has only three valves, E below the bass clef is the lowest non-pedal tone possible. On all models, however, pedal tones, the fundamentals of the instrument's harmonic series, are comparatively easily produced, and extend the range a further octave down, almost to the bottom of the piano keyboard.

As with the other conical-bore instruments, the cornet, flugelhorn, French horn, and tuba, the euphonium's tubing gradually increases in diameter throughout its length, resulting in a softer, gentler tone compared to cylidrical-bore instruments such as the trumpet and trombone. However, a truly characteristic euphonium sound is rather hard to define precisely; most players would agree that an ideal sound is dark, rich, warm, and velvety, with virtually no hardness to it. On the other hand, the desired sound varies geographically; European players, especially British ones, generally use a faster, more constant vibrato and a more veiled tone, while Americans tend to prefer a more straightforward, open sound with slower and less frequent vibrato. This also has to do with the different models preferred by British and American players.

Though the euphonium's fingerings are no different from those of the trumpet or tuba, beginning euphoniumists will likely experience more problems with intonation, response, and range as compared to other beginning brass players. In addition, it is very difficult for students, even of high-school age, to develop the rich sound characteristic of the euphonium, due partly to the models used in schools and partly to ignorance of great euphonium players on whom they can model their sound.

Euphonium (left) and tuba (right) comparison
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Euphonium (left) and tuba (right) comparison

Name recognition and misconceptions

The euphonium is possibly the least popularly-known Western instrument of all, probably due to its scarcity of performance venues (see below). Most non-musician members of the general public in the United States do not recognize the name "euphonium," and so it must be described as a small tuba or compared to a baritone horn.

Despite great confusion (especially in the United States), the euphonium and the baritone are two different instruments. Though they play in the same register, the baritone is significantly smaller in appearance, has a more masked tone, and most importantly, is cylindrical-bore, like trumpets and trombones. See [David Werden's website] for an excellent and thorough discussion of the differences between a euphonium and a baritone.

The so-called American-style euphonium, featuring three valves on the front of the instrument and a curved forward-pointing bell, was predominant in American school bands throughout most of the twentieth century and was almost universally labeled a "baritone" by both band directors and composers; this is probably responsible for much of the baritone/euphonium confusion. In reality, this instrument is a conical-cylindrical bore hybrid, neither truly a euphonium nor a baritone.

History and development

The euphonium, the baritone, the saxhorn family, and the German Bariton and Tenorhorn all trace their descent to the ophicleide and ultimately to the serpent. The euphonium is alleged to have been invented, as a valved instrument replacing the ophicleide, by Herr Sommer of Weimar in 1843, though Carl Moritz in 1838 and Adolphe Sax in 1843 have also been credited. The "British-style" compensating euphonium was developed by David Blaikley in 1874, and has been in use in Britain ever since.

A creation unique to the United States was the double-belled euphonium, featuring a second smaller bell in addition to the main one; the player could switch bells for certain passages or even for individual notes by use of a fifth valve, operated with the left hand. Ostensibly, the smaller bell was intended to emulate the sound of a trombone (it was cylindrical-bore) and was possibly intended for performance situations in which trombones were not available. The extent to which the difference in sound and timbre was apparent to the listener, however, is up for debate. Harry Whittier of the Patrick S. Gilmore band introduced the instrument in 1888, and it was used widely in both school and service bands for several decades. Harold Brasch (see "List of important players" below) brought the British-style compensating euphonium to the United States c. 1939, but the double-belled euphonium may have remained in common use even into the 1950's and 60's. In any case, they have become rare (they were last in instrumental catalogues in the late 1960's), and are generally unknown to younger euphonium players. They are chiefly known now through their mention in the song "Seventy-six Trombones" from the musical The Music Man by Meredith Willson.

Performance venues and professional job opportunities

The euphonium has historically been and largely still is exclusively a wind band instrument; thus, the most common forums in which it can be found are concert bands and brass bands, where it is frequently featured as a solo instrument. Because of this, the euphonium has been called the "king of band instruments," or the "cello of the band," because of its similarity in timbre and ensemble role to the stringed instrument. Euphoniums typically have extremely important parts in many marches (such as those by John Philip Sousa), and in brass band music of the British tradition. The euphonium may also be found in marching bands, though it is often replaced by its smaller, easier-to-carry cousin, the marching baritone (which has a similar bell and valve configuration to a trumpet). A marching euphonium similar to the marching baritone is also used in many marching groups, primarily drum and bugle corps, two of which (Phantom Regiment and Teal Sound) march all-euphonium sections.

Other performance venues for the euphonium may include the tuba-euphonium quartet or larger tuba-euphonium ensemble, the brass quintet where it can supply the tenor voice (though the trombone is much more common), or in mixed brass ensembles. Though these are legitimate performance venues, (paid) professional jobs in these areas are almost non-existent; they are much more likely to be semi-professional or amateur in nature. Most of the United States's military service bands include a tuba-euphonium quartet made up of players from the band that occasionally performs in its own right.

The euphonium is not traditionally an orchestral instrument and thus is not and has never been common in symphony orchestras. However, there are a handful of works, mostly from the late Romantic period, in which composers wrote a part for baryton (German) or tenor tuba, and these are universally played on euphonium, frequently by the principal trombone player. In addition, the euphonium is sometimes used in older orchestral works as a replacement of its predecessors, such as the Wagner tuba, the bass trumpet, or the ophicleide. At the bottom of the article are some of the well-known orchestral works in which the euphonium is commonly used (whether or not the composer originally specified it).

Finally, while the euphonium was not historically part of the standard jazz big band or combo, the instrument's technical facility and large range make it well-suited to a jazz solo role, and a jazz euphonium niche has been carved out over the last 40 or so years, largely starting with the pioneer Rich Matteson (see "List of important players" below). Jazz euphoniums are most likely to be found in tuba-euphonium groups, though modern funk or rock bands occasionally feature a brass player doubling on euphonium, and this trend is growing.

Thus, unlike most other Western instruments, euphoniumists cannot count on a career in symphony orchestras or jazz bands. Due to this dearth of performance opportunities, aspiring euphonium players in the United States are in an inconvenient position when seeking future employment. Often, college players must either obtain a graduate degree or a doctorate and go on to teach at the college level, or, in the United States, audition for one of the major or regional military service bands. Because these bands are relatively few in number and the number of euphonium positions in the bands is small (2-4 in most service bands), job openings do not occur very often and when they do are highly competitive; before the current slate openings in four separate bands, the last opening for a euphonium player in an American service band was in May 2004. A career strictly as a solo performer, unaffiliated with any university or performing ensemble, has not yet been achieved by any euphoniumist.

In Britain, the strongest euphonium players are most to likely find a position in a brass band, but ironically, even though they often play at world-class levels, the members of the top brass bands are, in most cases, unpaid amateurs.

The Euphonium has also long been featured as an integral part and solo instrument in Salvation Army bands.

College situation

Unlike a generation or two ago, most colleges with music programs now allow students to major in euphonium. However, due to the small number of euphonium students at most schools (2-4 is common), it is possible, and even likely, that they will study with a professor whose major instrument is not the euphonium. Often tubas and euphoniums will be combined into a studio taught by one professor, and at small schools they may be grouped with trombones as well, taught by one low brass professor. At present, Dr. Brian Bowman of the University of North Texas is the only full-time, euphonium-only professor in the United States. Usually, of course, universities will require professors in this situation to have a high level of proficiency on all the instruments they teach, and some of the best college euphonium studios are taught by non-euphonium players.

Below are some of the United States's largest and most successful college euphonium studios listed alphabetically, along with their teachers. These studios are likely to be larger than most, and either have one or more graduate students or have sent alumni on to graduate study elsewhere. Their professors are usually accomplished and widely respected artists in their own right, and students from these schools will have been invited either to amateur competitions such as the Leonard Falcone International Tuba and Euphonium Festival or the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference, or to the final rounds of recent military band auditions.

Lists of important players

The euphonium world is and has been more crowded than is commonly thought, and there have been many noteworthy players throughout the instrument's history. This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but gives an idea of some of the major names in euphonium playing, divided into three categories: great players of the present, great players of the past, and some "up-and-coming" younger players.

Today's premiere players

These are some of the most universally respected and influential euphonium players and teachers in the world today.

Important players of the past These are players who have died or retired from regular playing and teaching who have had a profound impact on euphonium playing today through their influence on playing style, development of the instrument itself, or through their students who went on to major success in their own right. Many of today's top players can trace their "teaching ancestry" back to one or more of these people.

Younger players Finally, here are some of the new generation of euphonium players (roughly 35 and younger) who have already carved an important place for themselves in the euphonium world, either through teaching, releasing recordings, giving masterclasses, or appearing as a featured soloist.

Important literature

These are some of the major works of the original euphonium repertoire, divided into three rough categories of difficulty: those that would be appropriate for high schoolers, those for undergraduate college students, and those probably appropriate only for graduate-level or professional players.

Solos available with ensemble accompaniment (concert band, brass band, orchestra, or often all three) are marked with an asterisk (*); pieces not so marked exist with piano accompaniment only. When solos are unaccompanied or have other instrumental accompaniment, this is noted as well.

High school:

Undergraduate: Graduate/Professional: Because the repertoire for euphonium is somewhat limited in scope and historical depth, euphoniumists often play transcriptions of literature written for other instruments, including cornet, trombone, bassoon, voice, and cello. These pieces may be transposed for the sake of range or key, they may be simplified technically, or they may be performed exactly as originally written. Here are some of the most commonly performed transcriptions, sorted by historical period, along with the instrument they were originally composed for:

Baroque

Classical Romantic Early 20th century virtuoso French Conservatoire 20th century Tradtional

Some famous band pieces with euphonium solos

The euphonium in orchestras

These are some major orchestral works with parts commonly played today on euphonium (whether the composer originally specified euphonium or not).

References

External links

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

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