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The Origin
The Euphonium was said to have originated from a very old instrument called the Serpent.The instrument is claimed to have been invented by Canon Edmé Guillaume in 1590 in Auxerre, France, and was first used to strengthen the sound of choirs in plainchant. -
Period: to
Serpents Usage
The serpent was used for over three hundred years not only as an accompanist for choirs but also as a member of the cornetto family in military and civic bands in France, Belgium, and England. -
Serpent Reveals
This date for the invention of the Serpent did not appear until 1743. Herbert Heyde asserts the serpent evolved from a type of bass cornetto and was invented in Italy in the 16th century. -
The Next Generation
The Serpent had some serious issues however. It had six holes to control pitch and tone but the player had to have a good ear for noise as different notes were hard to achieve due to its disproportionately small open finger holes. Eventually the Ophicleide was invented -
Tenor tuba
Carl Mortiz of Berlin makes a tenor that is very similar to thew Euphonium. -
CONFUSION
Adding to the confusion of the euphonium’s origins are the many various manes it has been given within, and between different countries. In the United States it can also be known as a tenor tuba, whereas in Britain it could be called a bass flugel horn. Germans have called it a kleine bass and baryton; Italians a flicoino basso and the French a Saxhorn-basse or clarion-basse. -
Another Euphonium???
Sommer of Weimar designed a "wide-bore, valved bugle of baritone range" at first called the Euphonium in Germany. Its name was later changed to Baryton. Ferdinand Hell of Vienna later designed a similar instrument to the Euphonion, a bass baritone of tenor range, callet the Hellhorn :) -
The Birth of The Euphonium
The introduction of the first valved instrument to fulfill the role previously occupied by the serpent and then the ophlicleide was credited to Sommer of Weimar about 1843 with his invention he called the "euphonion". Its name is derived from the Greek euphonos, meaning "sweet-voiced." Sommer not only built them but toured with the Louis Julien orchestra as a performer from 1849 to 1851. He at one point even tried to get his euphonium reclassified as a Sommerphone. -
Period: to
Euphoniums???
1849-1864 Heinrich J Hasenier made horns he called euphoniums. In reality, these were ten-keyed, chromatic bass horns. -
the Euphonium gets a job
1850s: French infantry and cavalry bands were required to have at least four bass saxhorns and two baritone saxhorns in their ensembles. A great moment for the evolution of the euphoniums. -
The euphonium replaces the ophicleide
The Royal Artillery Staff Band of Woolwich first used the euphonium in place of the ophicleide. -
Over the shoulders get used
1860s: Over-the-shoulder euphoniums appear in America. -
A group for the euphonium
1880s: Cerveny pioneered a 'Kaiser' range of instruments with particularly large bore which included a euphonium member called Kaiserbariton. -
Double belled euphonium
late 1880s: The double-belled euphonium was invented by the Conn Company. It was an attempt at combining the trombone and the euphonium -
Solos here we come
Shostakovich includes a large solo for euphonium in his music for the ballet The Golden Age. -
Now
Many non-musician members of the general public in the United States do not recognize the name "euphonium" and confuse the instrument with the baritone horn. The euphonium and the baritone differ. The baritone horn is often smaller than the euphonium. The euphonium usually plays lower parts whereas the baritone plays slightly higher parts. -
"Englishness"
early 1950s: The English were the first to perform im ensembles with lower brass instruments (including the Euphonium).
