Euphonium
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Looks like a small tuba, sounds like a trombone on vallium, mistakenly referred to as a baritone by too many people, smells like... well, brass. It is the euphonium. The greatest and most sonorous of all instruments, the name comes from the greek euphonous(?), or beautiful sounding, a related word being euphoria (the state in which a euphonium soloist exists during performances). The euphonium has a range extending from the b-flat below the bass clef up through three octaves the sound of the euphonium can be mistaken by the untrained as that of a tuba, a french horn, a trombone, or even a cornet or trumpet. But the wholesome, low, dark sound of this instrument is unique and beautiful.
Physically the instrument looks like a dwarfed tuba, and is used for to cover the tenor tuba parts in orchestral works (such as those of Wagner) as a result of this. The instrument is brass, can have anywhere from 3 through 5 valves, and has conical tubing. If the tubing is cylidrical the instrument is a baritone - there is a difference.
Compositions for this beautiful instrument, sadly, are few and far between. Soloists tend to resort to playing trombone, tuba, or bassoon works as a result. Vaughn Williams, Holst, and Sousa regularly included the Euphonium in their works with some of the most beautiful solos for this instrument being found in the Planets suite (can anyone say Jupiter?) and the Military Suite in F by Holst.
Physically the instrument looks like a dwarfed tuba, and is used for to cover the tenor tuba parts in orchestral works (such as those of Wagner) as a result of this. The instrument is brass, can have anywhere from 3 through 5 valves, and has conical tubing. If the tubing is cylidrical the instrument is a baritone - there is a difference.
Compositions for this beautiful instrument, sadly, are few and far between. Soloists tend to resort to playing trombone, tuba, or bassoon works as a result. Vaughn Williams, Holst, and Sousa regularly included the Euphonium in their works with some of the most beautiful solos for this instrument being found in the Planets suite (can anyone say Jupiter?) and the Military Suite in F by Holst.
