original music for symphony orchestra

[KevinBock]

You also have Strauss' Don Quixote and Ein Heldenleben, Mahler 7. And as some humble tuba players will admit you also have Bydlo for Pictures. I would also take some time to learn Bass Trumpet excerpts which would include a lot of Wagner and Rite of Spring.

[leedummer]

Janacek Capriccio
Gottschalk Night in the Tropics
Schostakovitch L'age d'or

[Chuck(G)]

Add to the Janacek, Sinfonietta, Totenhaus Suite and the Violin Concerto. Some of the Roy Harris symphonies, also use tenor tuba. The Strauss works were originally scored for Wagner tuba, but proved very difficult on that instrument and the substitution made, which Struass wholeheartedly approved of.

There was a British composer of light classics around the turn of the century of the same school as Binge and Coates who wrote a ballet for orchestra, which included parts for no fewer than four euphoniums, but the name escapes me right now.

[Chuck(G)]

You may be thinking of Percy Grainger - I am pretty certain some of his works use Euphonium.

Havergal Brian is another British composer which used the Euphonium (in some of his symphonies). Also, I believe there may be some in the works of Arnold Bax.

Nope--I wracked my feeble brain and finally came up with John Ansell (he of Plymouth Hoe for band). He wrote "Danses Miniatures de Ballet" for orchestra and three euphoniums (not four! ).

Philip Scowcroft, on his excellent British music site, lists the following:

Few serious British composers have written specifically for the euphonium as part of the orchestra

Bax's Overture to a Picaresque Comedy (1930) included a part for tuba in B flat but usually played - whenever the piece is revived, which is rarely - on euphonium. Most notably Gustav Holst himself once a brass player, called for a euphonium (and, what is more, notated in the treble clef of the brass band) in The Planets and it makes an overpowering appearance in Mars. Joseph Holbrooke and Havergal Brian were two major British figures who often wrote for very large instrumental forces, so we should not be too surprised to see them giving the euphonium a chance now and then. Holbrooke does so in his operas Bronwen, especially in the overture, The Children of Don (including its overture and the eight minute orchestral Wild Fowl Fantasy derived from it) and Dylan, (the first two of which have parts for both euphoniums and contrabass tuba) and in at least three purely orchestral works, the Variations on Auld Lang Syne, No 3(!) Opus 60 and the Symphonies Nos 2, Opus 51 (Apollo and the Seaman) and 3, Opus 90 (Ships). Havergal Brian required two euphoniums in the Gothic Symphony and one in each of the Symphonies Nos 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 19 - in No 8, in B Flat Minor, euphonium, tuba, and three side-drums open the work strikingly with a brief, menacing march-like motif. Few other serious British composers have been as enthusiastic for the instrument. Elizabeth Lutyens' Quincunx for soprano and baritone voices and orchestra (1960) has parts for two "tenor tubas" (so described).

[Chuck(G)]

Philip Scowcroft, on his excellent British music site, lists the following

What is the address of his website - it sounds very interesting?

The Scowcroft section is at:

http://www.musicweb.uk.net/garlands/

The main entrance is:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/index2.htm

Lots of very good reading there!

[Dan Castillo]

In addition to the British composers mentioned above, a lot of American Symphonists from mid-century made use of the Euphonium. Many of Roy Harris's Symphonies have a "Tenor Tuba" or "Baritone Tuba" part that would work great on Euph. A few of William Schuman's later symphonies also have Euphonium parts. I think the sound of the euphonium was something these composers knew very well and kept in mind when writing their low brass parts.