Cat No. JM103523
Price Please contact us for price
Composer: Various
Categories: NEW & RECENT Publications, SOLOS - Euphonium

VOLUME 1
Three solo parts included : Bb Euphonium (bass and treble clef) and C Euphonium.

INTRODUCTION
This collection of 25 of my favourite slow melodies gives euphonium and baritone players all around the
world the chance to enjoy hours of the most sublime melodic music. Away from the hectic stress of
virtuoso technical repertoire here is a chance to show off the sound of the euphonium at its best.
Over the years I've played a lot of very difficult music, giving first performances of hundreds of new works
and commissions. This has been central to my life as a soloist. But with an instrument like the euphonium,
capable of such beautiful ethereal sounds the universal appeal of this instrument must be it's ability to
deliver melodies with a human appeal which audiences find quite captivating. It has been this
characteristic I have observed so clearly in over thirty years of travelling. It crosses language and cultural
borders with consummate ease, creating a bond of human emotion that is genuine and that stays in the
memory long after the 'live' moment has ended.
 
Selecting the melodies for this collection Luc Vertommen has been digging deep into well known and
lesser known gems from the violin, cello and vocal repertoire. I enjoy the variety of accompaniments and
melodies from around the world. For me, this creates a self-revelatory feeling, as I have since earliest
memory 'sang' from the heart. For me every note in a melody has value and meaning, always going
somewhere and always carrying an emotion that l hope to convey to the listener.
There is a great variety of ‘melodies’ here. Some of them are very simple where the beauty of the phrasing
can be explored patiently, and at times, in the case of the arias, the melodic line can be cross-referenced
with the texts. Several others are very extended and will require much more study and have added
challenge of large intervals and extremes of range and demands on stamina.
So, I hope you enjoy this collection of melodies that will soothe and calm, and continue to show off the
extraordinary instrument that is the euphonium.
 
The question of phrasing and articulation is a very interesting and important one for such melodies,
especially as some of them originate as vocal works , works for solo stringed instrument, or keyboard, for
example. Each of these genres present different challenges for the brass player, and many decisions need
to be made to make our performance effective. We have tried to notate accurately and helpfully, but it is
up to the performer to add or even change annotated articulations and dynamics if they feel it’s necessary
I would urge all of you who attempt these melodies to try to listen to these melodies in their original
context, and there are many ways to do this these days, including YouTube, Spotify, CD Baby, or by doing
what we used to do, buy recordings! The nuance brought to these melodies in original performances
cannot always be notated successfully on printed paper, and so it's essential you do some background
work can make your performance sound ‘authentic’.
 
STEVEN MEAD