More Snorlax Live: Euph. Concerto

[snorlax]

Friends:

The link below is to your resident euphonium player doing a (then) new euphonium concerto by Hungarian composer Frigyes Hidas. I just discovered the CD (and a million dust bunnies) in a pile of stuff I had forgotten about.

The name Frigyes Hidas may not be known to everyone, but should be well known to wind ensemble devotees or Hungarians or devotees of Hungarian wind ensemble music or Hungarian devotees of wind ensemble music.

If I was not THE first player to do it in the USA, I was one of the first two or three.

The backing band was a mix of highschool and college kids and the performance was part of a low brass clinic I did in Ohio a few years ago (I have concertized extensively on BOTH sides of I-65)

The piece is well written and interesting, melding several different moods into a coherent one-movement concerto. It's not the typical "theme and variations" piece that brass players used to be forced to do. I find the writing to be quite lyrical and very idiomatic for the euphonium.

I particularly like the way Hidas uses texture when the euph is playing vs. when it isn't--I particularly came to like euph & saxes and euph & vibes. I played this piece several times and NEVER felt like I had to fight the ensemble, even when playing pianissimo. (and even when playing on one rehearsal as this was!)

Hidas also uses some non-standard combinations of instruments to good effect...wind ensemble composers would do well to listen to some of the combinations in order to coax more variety out of the wind ensemble

So...for an example of idiomatic writing for euphonium and writing that enhances--but doesn't compete with--a soloist, check this piece out. It's just short of 10 minutes, but it's listener-friendly :hp:


I post live performances mainly so that the talented people here can acquaint themselves with the euphonium, in its traditional setting, as well as in different and unfamiliar contexts. It's a little-used and much underappreciated instrument, and my goal is to popularize it by my performances, especially those that put the euphonium in non-traditional roles such as brass quintet and pop/jazz music. If you wish, listen to anything in the "Snorlax's Performances" area that you can click on, as well as the concerto.

Snorlax Live in Ohio (http://www.esnips.com/doc/62dc9fba-b836-4e14-9c1b-b3979b92bb2c/Snorlax-Live-in-Ohio)

[germancomponist]

WOW!

Mr. Snor, I am very impressed! Very coooooool my friend! )(~*()

Best,

Gunther

[bigears]

I have just finished listening and quickly looked up Euphonium in wikipedia. Somehow I knew from the velvety tones that it had to have something in common with the cornet. What I just learned is that they are both conical bore instruments, with the tubing tapering along its length, as opposed to the cylindrical bore of the trombone and trumpet. I have listened to a great deal of music from the British brass bands and have always been in love with the beautiful sonority of the cornet. Now I have to add the Euphonium to my favorite brass instruments.
I enjoyed this piece and Jim's playing very much. I'm so glad I caught this post. Thanks for sharing this. John (bigears)

[snorlax]

just curious where in Ohio this was, and if I'm familiar with the hall.

will have a listen later this evening for sure - the euphoniums were our protection against the obnoxious trombone players who wouldn't play, but found pleasure in using their instruments to launch spitballs across the band...

forever indebted;)

Jon

IIRC, Otterbein College. For many years I had an Otterbein connection that I really treasured.
Afew years ago, I went on a tour with the Otterbein band to Texas, Alabama, New Orleans, Ohio, etc. (not quite in that order, though:)) and played it about 6 times
My last appearance in Columbus, though, was at Cap.

[snorlax]

I have just finished listening and quickly looked up Euphonium in wikipedia. Somehow I knew from the velvety tones that it had to have something in common with the cornet. What I just learned is that they are both conical bore instruments, with the tubing tapering along its length, as opposed to the cylindrical bore of the trombone and trumpet. I have listened to a great deal of music from the British brass bands and have always been in love with the beautiful sonority of the cornet. Now I have to add the Euphonium to my favorite brass instruments.
I enjoyed this piece and Jim's playing very much. I'm so glad I caught this post. Thanks for sharing this. John (bigears)

THANKS, John...this is EXACTLY what I hoped would happen...I really want to make eople aware of the euphonium, ESPECIALLY given all the talent floating around here, yourself included!

Snor

[KE Peace]

Hi Jim,

I am listening right now, and I feel myself becoming euphoniated already ;)

It sounds more mellow than a trombone, but with just a bit more edge when desired than a french horn, and a lower bottom range. A very pleasant sound, which I can imagine in a jazz setting as well as a traditional orchestral one. No wonder you are so fond of it. What is its range?

Thanks for sharing this! )(~
Karen

[snorlax]

Hi Jim,

I am listening right now, and I feel myself becoming euphoniated already ;)

It sounds more mellow than a trombone, but with just a bit more edge when desired than a french horn, and a lower bottom range. A very pleasant sound, which I can imagine in a jazz setting as well as a traditional orchestral one. No wonder you are so fond of it. What is its range?

Thanks for sharing this! )(~
Karen

Karen...Welcome to the community of the euphoniated!!
Your keen ears have heard several important points...

About the "edge" when desired...earlier that day in the clinic, I told the kids that "sometimes the music needs to laugh and sometimes it needs to sneer." There are a couple places in the performance where a definite "sneer" was intended...thanx for picking up on that! Lets me know I'm communicating:). That's always a concern!

As to jazz, euphonium and saxes mix quite well.
As to the parallel with the french horn, they are both conical brass, as is the tuba. That's what imparts the mellowness. If you are so motivated, scroll down to the bottom of the linked page & listen to the "Mozart euphonium concerto" & a couple of pop/jazz things in the "Snorlax's performances" area.

Karen, it is the responsibility and solemn duty of all euphoniated composers to start considering it when they write.

On a more serious note apart from any snorlaxes and euphoniation, we have here an instrument with great expressive capability as a solo voice as well as the ability to blend in any number of contexts, BUT composers are mostly unaware of it, and "Entrenchment at the Conservatories" has kept it largely out of the orchestra or jazz ensemble.

SO my goal here is to get people aware of the instrument and instill a desire in composers to use it in their work.
Thanx! (Back to Snorlax mode!!)
Jim

[Dean L. Surkin]

Karen--

Jim forgot to answer one of your questions, that is, what's the range of the euphonium? It has the same range as the trombone. Most euphoniums have 4 valves, which means its range matches that of the trigger trombone/bass trombone.
Part of the beauty of its tone derives from the use of diaphragmatic vibrato (like a flute) instead of shaking the horn (like a trumpet) or jiggling the slide (like a trombone). Since the vibrato is produced more like a singer's vibrato, it can have a gorgeous sound.

--Dean L. Surkin

[trentpmcd]

Sounds great. I do like euphoniums – not sure the difference (if any) between one and a Wagner Tuba, but since I recently got GCMB I use the euph. A few months back I posted an orchestrated song that uses a euphonium (recently reposted on Karen’s thread about opportunities with Pike’s Peak area poets).

[danpowers]

Beautiful performance! and a very nice concerto, too, by a composer I'd never heard of before. Thanks for dusting this off for us!

[trentpmcd]

Wagner Tuba is not a Euphonium. Wagner Tubas are more often than not played by horn players, and is more or less a "modified" (and slightly less curly;)) horn.

Jon

Thanks Jon. I don’t know if I have ever seen Wagner Tuba, just see the name all of the time. I see Euphoniums and related brass all the time but rarely hear the name.

[snorlax]

Karen--

Jim forgot to answer one of your questions, that is, what's the range of the euphonium? It has the same range as the trombone. Most euphoniums have 4 valves, which means its range matches that of the trigger trombone/bass trombone.
Part of the beauty of its tone derives from the use of diaphragmatic vibrato (like a flute) instead of shaking the horn (like a trumpet) or jiggling the slide (like a trombone). Since the vibrato is produced more like a singer's vibrato, it can have a gorgeous sound.

--Dean L. Surkin

Let me amplify a bit on a couple of points:
Yes, the trombone and euphonium play the same range of notes, BUT:

*The euph is less cutting in the extreme upper and lower register than the trombone...it's less cutting in general, but it's especially true at the extremes. So that F right below the bass staff (6th position or trigger+1st) that can really RIP on the trombone will not rip on the euph.

*Many euph players use mouthpieces that are too large for their capability and/or for the instrument. That tends to dull the tone and cut the upper range, so composers never hear the upper register. That's one area the Hidas concerto did not explore.

*The upper register of the euph is a bit underused, largely because of the mouthpiece issue above. Most players are comfortable up to B flat above Middle C, but there is some room above that.

*I think of the euphonium as a French horn, NOT EVER as a trombone.
WHY? Mainly because all the "similarity" betwen bone and euph are superficial and the differences are PROFOUND.

*Specifically, the production of legato on trombone and euphonium are vastly different. To achieve a QUASI-legato on the slide, trombonists have to tongue ever so lightly as they change positions. Euph players have no such need...they can blow right through a legato phrase as they change valves. Hearing a trombone player pick up a euphonium and try to slur a passage is a dead giveaway that euph is an afterthought for the trombonist, and a euphonium player for whom trombone is an afterthought will produce a comical series of "smears" if s/he tries to use euph legato on trombone.

*In fact, trombones and euphoniums often use the same mouthpieces, but the conical euphonium is better served with a funnel-shaped mouthpiece, whereas the cylinder trombone is best served by a bowl-shaped mouthpiece. (For Gearheads, I use a Doug Elliott I cup, a gold 103 rim, and a J6E shank, or a Black/Alessi 2.)

*As to vibrato, the correct way to produce it on the euph and tuba is with the LOWER JAW...that's the most efficient, most controllable way to produce vibrato on low brass instruments.

Gotta practice...more later...I have been working at a glacial pace on a tutorial for composers and arrangers on the euphonium.School's out for the summer, so I may have some time!

Snor.

[Garritan]

Fantastic performance Snorlax. Your playing is like velvet and you do great justice to the instrument. Very rarely have I heard the instrument sound as expressive and nimble.

Thanks for bringing us to Euphonium Euphoria.

All the best,

Gary

[raz.bari.88]

Wow Snor, that was amazing, I have a lot of practicing to do. I really like the "sparkle" as one of my old brass techs from corps calls it, but calling it growling works well also. I love your sound in the low range, and the upper range sounds awesome.
By chance, are you posting that tutorial here, and will it also pertain to Euphs on And off the stage, the field perhaps!?!?

[GigaLove]

a great expressiveness and tone shaping you have, thanks for sharing this impressive live take!

[KeithW]

Jim,

Do you know Marcus Dickman of the University of North Florida? He was the Clinician at the recent Orange County (Florida) Public Schools All-County Jazz Ensemble. He plays a mean jazz euph., and I really had never heard the euph. in this environment before.

As a former euph. player myself, I'm always amazed at the range of works the euph. can be used in.

Keith W.

[snorlax]

Hi,all!

@Gary: Thanx for the kind words...of course, TONE is the most important aspect of playing to me, and I always strive to sound the best I can, regardless of circumstance.
Of course, having your support & encouragement in this forum has been of immense value to euphonium players everywhere. Allowing me to post live performances has planted important seeds in the minds of talented composers & arrangers. Some of the seeds have already borne fruit in the form of pieces featuring euphonium & other seeds will bear fruit later.
So...I am making Gary Garritan an HONORARY EUPHONIUM PLAYER as of today.

@Keith W. Yes, I know that name well...a great player. If you want to hear some more stuff like that, there is a link to 3 pages or so of "snorlax's performances" with some rock & jazz items...No Doubt, BS&T, Dixie, etc.

@Raz.Bari.88...Anthony, practice hard and smart...a lot of different styles, not just band stuff!! Though I had some instruction from a great teacher, I am essentially a self-taught performer. As such, I've always felt that I had to work JUST **THAT** MUCH HARDER than all those players from the conservatories. That attitude has had some real payoff for me, and it will for you too as you develop!!

@gigalove...thanx!...your words mean much to me in that you are hearing what I hope to communicate.

Snor...co-creator of SNOR-XL euphware (see "buyer beware" thread elsewhere in this area...)

[snorlax]

Am I correct that you're at IU?

No. I teach Finance at Franklin College, a small liberal arts college about 45 mins. from Bloomington.



I'm somewhat familiar with Otterbein but good to know you saved the best for last ;):D While I was there, we did Fantasia de Falcone (James Curnow, I believe) with Zugger sitting in on Euph - that was an awesome experience, with some mighty fine Euphonizing!
Jon

Otterbein is a nice place--their recently-retired band director, Gary Tirey, is a good friend of long standing.
I had the good fortune to play in a pickup quintet (Gary Tirey's son's wedding) with Zugger...I played horn part on euph. & Zugger played trombone. Monster player!! So he's equally good on euph, eh? Not surprising! Tony Zilincik (now on faculty at Cap) is Gary Tirey's son-in-law, great tubist, & also a friend.

Snor.